NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - Under-discussed Teams with Jourdan Rodrigue and Chargers Camp with J.K. Dobbins, Hayden Hurst and Matt ‘Money’ Smith

Episode Date: July 30, 2024

Gregg Rosenthal is joined by Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic to go over the latest headlines from around the nfl (1:19). And they touch on some of the under-discussed teams from around the league (10:42). Next, Gregg heads to Chargers training camp, first he talks to veteran tight end Hayden Hurst about what its like to play for both Harbaughs' and Justin Herbert (37:39). Gregg is then joined by running back JK Dobbins to discuss his return from injury and outlook towards the new season (40:50). Finally, Gregg is joined by Matt "Money" Smith to talk about the team and what to look out for this upcoming season. (49:00) Note: time codes approximateNFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Welcome to NFL Daily, where sometimes we get stuck inside of pitching cages. I'm Greg Rosenthal from my house. But Jordan Rodriguez at the Rams facility. And yeah, she's literally taping this inside of a pitching cage. And her laptop is set up. on what they would call a hit pad, I guess, that the players run into. So thank you for playing hurt today, Jordan. Yeah, the scent of sweat is just oozing upward from the hit pads today.

You know, football is back. It is very back. And yeah, if you're watching on YouTube, you can see the setup that Jordan has a beautiful picture. So, yeah, today's show, a little different. I was at Chargers Camp earlier, and we're going to listen to some conversations. I had and some thoughts at Chargers Camp later, but we're going to start the show with just a little bit of news. And then Jordan and I decided to talk about some teams that haven't been talked enough about on this show. So we're going to try to get to a lot of stuff,

and that's why I'm not going to mess around with the chit-chat. Jordan, I apologize. Let's do some news. News. There's a couple items here on Monday before we get to those teams. haven't talked about enough. We've talked plenty about the Texans, and they learned today that their defensive tackle that they signed in the offseason, Danico Atri, suspended for six games for violating the PED policy at the NFL. And it's a shame, really good player, 34 years old,

and most importantly, a key member of that defensive line, who I think was going to play a ton of snaps for them. Fifty-nine sacks in his last 10 seasons, 11 and a half in 2020. in Tennessee. He was kind of one of those, like, guys who you could tell was going to have a key role here. So, yeah, you hate to see that. The first time you can come back is October 20th against Green Bay. This is one of those suspensions, though, and this happens later in guys' career that I always think you're going to get a great version of him when he comes back. So it's a shame at a position where, yeah, they signed Foli Fatu Kasi, they have Tim Settle, Mario Edward. They're thin there, but a 34-year-old getting the first six games of the season off,

like isn't the worst thing. And yeah, he's one of those, you know, if you know Ball, you know Danico Atri. He's been a great player. And he used to be on the Colts, and now the Colts, unfortunately, got some bad news. They lost Samson-Ebacom for the season. He tore his Achilles. I hate that we're always leading the show with news like this, but it's the biggest news this time of year. Really good pass-rrisher.

You saw him when he was. with the Rams, Jordan, and that's a big loss for the Colts. Yeah, he was used in the change-up package in L.A. and then into San Francisco, he really blossomed when he was up with the 49ers. You know, he's a great dude, a great player. They're really, I know I join you, Greg, and being really excited to see what this Colts front line is going to do this year. Obviously, that's a huge loss. And Lattu Lattu is going to probably get a little bit more juice, needs more pop early on without somebody like Samson,

who could mix it up for them in terms of that speedball, that speed rush combined with some of the power they already have. I love Laiatu Latu coming out of the draft. He was the first defensive player taken, right? Which is wild, and I thought he deserved it to be. And it was a surprise that it happened that way. Yeah, we haven't talked a ton about the Colts, defense at least. And the defensive line, I thought, had an argument for the deepest in the NFL.

Not as good on the top end as like the Cowboys, certainly. but quidipay, a dingbo, who's coming off a nice season, Laiatu Latu, and now you lose Avicam, who's coming off a career year, 10 tackles for lost, nine and a half sacks, was top 15 PFF edge player, that's wild, but top 30 and win rate, really solid. They have another guy, Tyquan Lewis, so I guess the positive spin is that was a position

they could afford to lose someone, but you hate to see it. And that defense, to me, has a chance. Their front, to be really exciting, make Gus Bradley look great there and be a playoff team. Finally, we wrap up the news. Taylor Decker signed a new contract with the Lions. I think it was $31.8 million guaranteed.

Three for 60. Seems like a bargain. And again, they're investing in the trenches. Yeah, $20 million a year for your guard, like one of your, excuse me, one of your top players on the offensive line. And I think, I say guard, because I'm looking at this list of their top five

top paid players on this team. Jared Goff, obviously, is number one. Decker is number two and a little bit of a higher number two at this point. So kicking out, starting on the outside and then coming in. Frank Ragnow is also, he's number three. Aidan Hutchinson, sneaky number four there, but that's that rookie deal kind of popping in there. And then Penae Sewell, who they took care of earlier this season, what I love about this Lions team and how they're built, among many things,

is they're telling you who the F they are. I mean, they're going to run the ball at you. They're going to run play action. They're going to have a couple of really great skill players and a quarterback who can get the ball to them. And they're going to be physically dominant up front. So now what they will do, because they have so much money tied up, you know, rightfully so. When you look at the caliber of these offensive linemen and skill players as well in Amunrasse Brown, now what they're going to do is walk that tight rope of finding and identifying supplemental players in the middle to later rounds of the draft that will stay.

cheap for them for long enough to maximize this contention window. So this is going to be fun. I think the lot, I love this for the lines because they, like I said, they're showing you exactly who the F they are with this, with all these signings. It reminds me a little bit of the Eagles who, you know, are thought of as one of the most analytically minded teams.

And they are. And I think what the numbers say is invest in the players who weigh the most. And they've always paid their linemen a ton on both sides of the ball. And it's worked out for them. It's going to work out for the line. Shout out to Bob Quinn. the general manager of the Lions in 2016. I was rudely Googling that as you were talking.

So he's the one who drafted Taylor Decker back in the day. And it's always a reminder. Tackle more than any position in the NFL. Just be patient. Because at first people really weren't that into Taylor Decker, and he's had a really good career. And I think that's smart what you said about the Lions. The Lions could almost fit into this segment.

Weirdly, I don't think we've talked a lot about the Lions this year because it's like, oh, they're all back. And now, like, I think they have the best team in the NFL if you had to make a team full of guys signed through 20, 27 or 28. Like, they have the most great guys now signed through 27 or 28. But we haven't talked a lot about just like this team. But I guess before we jump in, you got any lions pop? You just can't stop smiling today.

I'm so happy. I'm at football. You are at the facility. It gave me some juice, I got to say, and we'll get to the Chargers later, to be on football field to hear Jim Harbaugh like yelling at his players. Yes, it did give me a beautiful football is back feeling. What do you got for the Lions for me? Okay. I do have one more thing for the Lions for you because again, I love how this team is built. I love how they've gone about like really identifying young players who can compliment stars that they now have shown us.

They clearly intended to pay. Like I said, that's a tight rope walk and you want everyone to stay healthy. And hitting on those supplementary players, your stars, you expect your stars. who you did sign. I think most of them, in this case, can do this, lift up those supplementary players in order to really have a cohesive product. So it's like you want the guys you pay to raise the floor of everybody else and help the young guys develop, and you want that floor to get higher and higher because everybody's developing because of the stars that you do pay, pending everybody stays healthy. I will say, I heard a scout one time say this to me, and I will never forget it.

It makes sense, and also it doesn't, which is the scouting way. let's see it says investing dollars into pounds makes sense oh there we go right i'm like wow you really you really thought you had something there a little corny little footbally but you know this this is this is a league where every team has to have a slogan i forget whose slogan it is this year it's resilience and it's like okay that's not a slogan oh i got to tell you i'm out here at rams i know you'll be out here in a couple days, Greg. You know, you guys successfully and beautifully shamed Sean McVeigh into shortening the language on his t-shirts.

We'll get to that a little bit later this week. Oh, I, that was some of the funniest stuff ever last year. And you guys really carried it in a great way. So I am happy to, I'm happy to report on the ground. It's good to know. I'm looking forward to the new slogans, but yeah, they needed an editor in the worst way. I think one of the, one quick thing on the Lions is really on the defense, the defensive line.

That's where I have questions. I actually am really confident in what they did in the secondary and bringing, like Brian Branch is playing nickel, by the way. I mean, last year he played nickel. This year he looks like a full-time safety, which is different. Like it kind of was under the radar. Safety, they can move him around. Yeah, but I don't even think, from the sound of it,

I don't think they're going to move him too much. They're going to get him on the field even more and have him play safety. and I'm sure he'll be in the slot sometimes, but they're trying to fill that position separately, and they feel like they have the depth now to do it, now that they brought in Carlton Davis. I think Emmanuel Mosley might be there. Slot corner.

Terry on Arnold is there as the other starter, and so I'm excited about that. The one thing I'd be worried about is the defensive line. Marcus Davenport and DJ Reeder are two really important players for them, and then Levi Onuzerike, who is starting right now for them in practice. Those three players, to me, have very high. high ceilings and very low floors in terms of talent and mostly just availability for all three readers coming off a thigh, you know, another torn quad, rather, Davenport's never on the field.

On Wuzarekes had injuries. And so those are three guys they're counting on. They've invested a lot in the defensive line and it hasn't always paid off that well except for Hutchinson. So if you're looking for, you know, something to just watch and camp, it's those guys and their health because Davenport and Reader especially are coming off injuries. All right, let's get, let's get into our segment, though. I want to talk.

Pick a card. Teams. Oh, you have four cards. They're beautiful NFL Daily note cards. I do love that logo. Like, I'm very self-critical, and there are many things with the launch of this show that I want to just get better and better at. Same, including my rambling. Yeah.

Which is why we have the cards. But the cards I'm happy with. The cards and the logo, I'm really into. Yeah, my son said I'm getting. Walker is like, oh, you're getting cooked on the five-star, one-stars on iTunes. I was like, oh, really? He's like, yeah, some of them aren't happy. So if you're listening to this show, it means you do like it.

Give me some five-stars and some reviews. It does help with the ratings. I would appreciate that. I know people understandably were not happy with the transition, but we're trying to make it work for you. And so, yeah, I was like, Walker, don't tell me that and put it in a five-star review. Greg's in his head. Don't get Greg in his head. We need him loose. We need him loose and cooking. No, I was like, okay, that's the way I find out. You throw out, no, you throw out the card you want to, you think is the most interesting. Or pick the second one from the left, if you really want me to.

The second one from the left. Just pick the one you like the best. Come on, Jordan. Second from the left? Well, I don't like this one the best, just to be clear. No, pick the one you like the best. This is entertainment. No one would know. Just pick it. Yeah, second card from the left. No, I'm starting with the Jets. Okay, wow. I do think...

The Jets being a not-talked-about-out team is new, but you're right. But you're right. And I think some people, it's because I think rightfully so, after the fiasco that was last year for this team, you know, one injury away from complete catastrophe, I do think that that's part of the reason. It's like, you know, once bitten twice shy kind of a thing with this team and some of the buzz. I mean, I've heard other people say this. I'm not saying anything new. This is a Super Bowl team. If Aaron Rogers stays healthy, this is a Super Bowl contending team. I firmly believe that

they have one of the best defenses in the league. If Aaron Rogers even looks like 89%, 87%, 85, 80% of Aaron Rogers of your, like I really do think that this team has some special in them. That's That's where I'll start, because I know you have thoughts on this. We have talked a little bit about Rogers, but I've tried to stay away from it. But you're right in terms of looking at the depth chart and really breaking into what team they're going to be, haven't as much. Here's one thing I'd push back on slightly. They need their offensive line to stay healthy. And I guess if I had a question about the team, any position group, it might actually be their defense.

line because Hassan Reddick's not there right now and I'm not I'm not assuming that that's going to all work out and even if it does okay you're Quinn and Williams is there but you're counting on Jermaine Johnson to maybe make a big leap will McDonald to make an even bigger leap Javon Kinlaw was a little bit of a disappointment in San Francisco those guys all have big roles so when I look at the defense you're saying best defense in the league I'm so glad you're going here first as good as any team in the league, they're linebackers, and the secondary as good as any. Defensive line, there is a bad case scenario there. Yeah, and I think that's a fair point.

However, as you'll note in bullet point number three, I came ready. I'm juice. It's football, man. I got this. Okay, so I do agree with you in that that's a concern. I don't think they're necessarily quite, they have to get this Hassan Reddick deal done. They just have to. I mean, you cannot, not only for logistic.

reasons and production reasons, but it's just, it's flat out embarrassing. If you trade for the guy and he's not showing up to camp and, I mean, you have to make this happen. He can be very productive along this front. Quina Williams is one of my favorite players to watch in the NFL. He's just a destructive force of nature and just a delightful human as well, like just a wonderful guy. And so I really appreciate the juxtaposition, the duality of man, if you will, on that front. But I also think that this, we've watched since 2018, Robert Sala, yes, he's often been defined by the personality of his fronts, but particularly over the last couple of years with the Jets, even though the front is 100% should be and has been the heartbeat of this team in so many ways, you actually watch some of the coverages that he's leaned on. He's one of the few people, in fact, maybe the only one who has successfully and consistently taken that old Seattle system and married it with some of these new core. concepts that we're seeing.

Robert Sala plays the most quarters or the second most quarters of any coach in the league. And for the listener at home, quarters popularized heavily by the modern iterations of Vigfangio system, it basically builds a box over the defense. And it often looks like man coverage. It can be man coverage. But it can also be a match zone, which gets really sticky over the various layers that receivers are building with their routes. And so when you can play like this with bona fide dudes in your secondary, to the side now,

DJ Reed, Sass Gardner, Michael Carter, they all are allowing completion percentages of under 60% according to pro football focus. That is also while playing one of the most difficult and aggressive coverage as you possibly can. I say all this to say, yes, the pass rush does help with that, but I do say all this to say, can we start talking about how the secondary,

the defensive backfield is becoming a core identity of this Robert Solid defense, of this Jets defense, to the point where you can even start thinking about some of those older fan geo concepts, and he didn't start him, but they were sort of defined by coverage dictates front in some ways. And I remember that very, very well when I first started learning this defense back in 2020. And I think that is something to watch, especially when you do have bona fide stars at every key cornerback, defensive back position on this Jets defense. And I think, like I said, I think they're going to be badass.

You convinced me. That is maybe the best quarterback trio in the league. I think because of the continuity and the intelligence and that sauce gardener can go to another level, which is scary. Like a lot of teams, I think if you take out, you know, some of these starters, they're a little thinner. But when I look at the Jets and that's the only holes that you can pit, poke, like, whatever I'm doing that, that's with Super Bowl contenders, where it's like, well, they are one injury away from pretty questionable cornerbacks.

But like, if that's the best you can do, their safetys this year. Tony Adams, who has been there, was a undrafted free agent, I believe, who's played well for them. And then you got Chuck Clark or Ashton Davis. That's one spot, but they're so good at hiding guys. And yeah, the linebackers, Mosley and Quincy Williams was a pickup. They're just, they're great. I mean, Salah has to get his flowers at the very top of the NFL of defensive minds because he's just done it. Like, he's just made it happen. And so that's why it always made sense to me actually to keep him going into this year despite all the turmoil. All right, let's move on to another team.

Are you picking your life? I haven't talked a lot of commanders. I'm going to just throw it out. We'll go commanders. Okay. I'm worried about this team. Again, line play, both sides of the ball. But I want to start positive.

And I want to think, like, what's the route here to being interesting and better than people expect? It's obviously Jane Daniels starting quickly, and he might more than Caleb Williams and Drake may be positioned to start quickly just because of his age, frankly, and just the different systems he's been in, and everything you hear about him and everything you're already reading at Washington, he's very mature, I think, as a young man and as a football mind. And so you combine that. We'll see how Cliff adjust to that. but it's someone that might be able to hit the ground running and we can get into what else is there on offense, but that has a real deal wide receiver one. So that's a nice start.

I mentioned it on our fantasy show that I did with Pat Dardy, like the fact McClureen's going like something insane, like 30th out of receivers, like this is finally going to be the McLaren year because he doesn't have much competition and the situation's better. Like where he, it would not surprise me if Terry McLaurin rips off a 1600-yard season. season one of these years. And I think this might be that season. Yeah, he just does not slow down. He does not get worse. He is a joy to watch play. Some of the catches he makes defy the laws of physics, quite frankly. And we're on the scene here. So I'm enjoying this Mack truck backing up behind me. So excuse me for that. You're good. Everyone wave at our first responders. Hi, first

responders. Okay. How about that emergency action plan, right? So what I kind of like about this, so I'm a big believer in Jaden Daniels. I'm an Arizona State graduate, very depressed since we lost him and enjoyed watching him thrive and play in college football. I'm a big time Jada Daniels fan. But I also think that when you're getting someone ready to take the reins, I'm kind of in the camp of have someone else there who's experienced who could kind of like I kind of brought up and I can fix him. I can fix him episode, like having somebody who can install proof of concept without the quarterback feeling rushed. Now, I'm not saying that Marcus Marriota is that guy.

He's still taking first team reps, by the way, which is one of the more surprising aspects of training camp. I don't think that's going to last long. Yeah, I don't think that'll last either, but I do like the fact that you're not necessarily thrown into it. If you are a quarterback who, you know, I think Jaden Daniels is going to be an outstanding pro, but I do think that there are maybe some durability questions with his bring, some play style questions of, you know, the contact that he is able to take on.

And I just think you want to make sure you're being careful with all of those things, especially right out of the gate. So getting him an on-ramp, I think that's what Marcus Marriota is for him, is the on-ramp. And I like that. And does that on-ramp mean sitting a regular season game? I don't know. I think if you're really run-heavy to start and we'll see. Because like you, I don't believe that this whole first-team reps thing for Mariot.

I don't think it lasts. I mean, Jaden is too electric of a player to be behind long. All I'm saying, because we've got the entire month of August here, Greg, like all I'm saying is a nice little on-ramp into your first professional season. You see more and more franchises, more and more organizations trying that, trying to walk that perfect balance between play the guy you believe in, play the guy you drafted this high, and also make sure he's not just like jumping in a frozen lake at the very beginning. we've seen this franchise ruined quarterbacks.

I know, but it's a new day. It's a new owner. It's a new coaching staff. I know, and that's what I'm saying. I think they're trying to walk this line of make sure he's getting all of the steps in, make sure he's truly feeling comfortable with all of these things, and his body is where it needs to be. Just do it the right way. And I think all of us want that for Jada Daniels. We'd love to see him right out of the gate, the starter, you know, in week one. And I think he's got the weapons to do it. They might, they'll probably have a pretty solid run. game. I'm worried about this offensive line as it seems to be the trend here. Let me mention the offensive line because at practice this week, really the only consistent starters are Tyler

Biotis from Dallas. He's fine in Dallas. Not like a plus starter, but they trust him. And then Sam Cosmey at right guard. And after that, it's like injuries and rotating guys. And Cornelius Lucas is either left or right tackles. And you could say it's early in camp. We're trying to find the right five, but the names there aren't inspiring. Andrew Wiley, who is with the Chiefs, it's not inspiring. And all the teams that are saying that are the teams with no talent. So, like, yeah, you can say, like, we're trying to find the right five. That's worrisome.

The positive spin, before we move on from the commanders, would be Jahan Dotson has a step to go up, I still think. And so that's a good one, too, I think. And then the back seven on defense with Dan Quinn is going to be interesting. I mean, you know, Bobby Wagner and Frankie Louvre, two really smart players you can do some things with. And the secondary has a lot of guys. And give Dan Quinn a lot of guys. I think that have a chance to be a little underrated.

Benjamin St. Juice is solid. Mike Santer still was one of my favorite players in the draft, a slot corner. Emmanuel Forbes put on 15 pounds this offseason. And yet he still like 175. I mean, he is the skinniest cornerback in the league. But Michael Davis, like Jeremy Chin's there, Derek Forrest. I'm just saying a lot of names, but they are names, I think, are capable. And Dan Quinn showed in Dallas, he is good at getting guys all on the same page right away.

So I think they can get more out of the secondary. I think there could be a good wide receiver combination. This is not going to be a playoff team, but they could be more fun. Two very quick things I want to point out before we move on is a bunch of these players in the secondary, either from other teams or are smart, are versatile, and they hit really damn hard. Like Frankie Louvre and Jeremy Chin, watch out because they're going to take your head off. And I think that this is going to, this is an old school vintage Dan Quinn, right? Guys in a defensive backfield that can hit the brakes off a car, right?

And I think that this is going to be really interesting to watch. I love Frankie Louvue's game. I think he's an outstanding player pairing him with Bobby Wagner. You'll notice that most of these position groups, barring the offensive line that we talked about and barring some other areas, they've really paired like a core culture guy, They have a lot more work to do this Commander's franchise than just the product that they put on the field. You see Austin Echler, you see Bobby Wagner, Marcus Marriota guys, culture guys, core guys who can help Dan Quinn and Adam Peters build what they want. And Adam Peters just went about gutting the entire front office.

He made hires in the analytics department and also in his front office personnel from the lions, the 49ers, and the Ravens. And all I have on my notes for that is the word good. Yes. That's good. Good hiring. I think it's a little overlooked how much of a gutting happened here. Everyone is new on the roster and the organization. I know Duran Payne and Jonathan Allen,

that is a great defensive tackle combination that is there. But other than that, Ron Rivera, who's going to be working with us at NFL Network he announced on Monday, I heard he's asking about how he can get on a podcast. So maybe we'll, I know you're, you know him from your days in Carolina. Maybe we'll have to try to have him on. his team is kind of gone and this is starting from scratch and so there's just a lot to do there a lot to do in this segment still jordan teams we haven't talked about enough and you know what's

going to be sad is you have multiple note cards here and it's like i think we only got time for one more team okay i'm gonna make you pick it stinks to be the team that isn't talked about enough that isn't going to be talked about in the teams that aren't talked enough segment if that made i love it it's so meta wait i'm going to make you pick because i've got no you pick No, no, I'm holding the cards, Greg. Pick a card. Which is more interesting. They're both very interesting.

Just pick the bucks for a specific... I have a specific reason. Let it be known, Raiders fans. This was Greg's choice. You know what? You know why? We're going to be at Raiders camp next week and we can spend some good quality time with the Raiders.

Yeah, when you see Greg, boo that man. He didn't want to talk about you today. Yeah, shout out to Sean, the man at Chargers Camp, who said he was listing to NFL Daily. on the way up, said I, he knew I was going to be there, and then kind of a little weird, but maybe a little weird, said he sort of staked out. He saw me going to the porta potty area, and I think it waited outside for me to come back out and say hi and say he was a fan.

So that actually is, I know I'm looking, people are listening to the show, but that's the first confirmed fan event. That's so nice. Oh, Sean, shout out to Sean, and I hope Greg washed his hands there for you, Sean. Of course. Of course, they did. It's a tough scene. porta bodies. Let's, yeah, let's do the bucks. Give me your best stuff on the bucks. Chris Godwin

in the slot, I think, is going to be overall some of the best stuff on the bucks. I also loved, you guys mentioned it a little bit in Monday morning's episode of NFL Daily, which I listened to. Don't say that. That means we talked about him on Monday. But you only talked about it like a very small amount because I really do love this receiving core. I think people forget that Liam Cohen is the offensive coordinator over there. Liam Cohen worked a lot in the early stage. of Cooper Cup when he was doing a lot more stuff out of the specific slot role before he moved into this hybrid slot F player who did a lot. He's always done a lot in the blocking game and all that. I think he really wants to see if they can unlock Chris Godwin. It's very, very rare to ever

have a season in 2021 like Cooper Cup had, but it has been brought up a few times as sort of an aspiration, a goal to at least have some of that style of production, a do-it-all player. you know, Chris Godwin is, like, quietly second on this, in this franchise and receiving yards, you know, and Mike Evans, obviously, with 10 consecutive thousand yard seasons is still there. And I really liked, you know, as you know, I got to see a lot of the scouting process this year, Greg. Everybody liked Jalen McMillan. Everybody really liked him. And I think all of these players, they give Baker Mayfield just this diversity of target. They could do a lot of things.

Mike Evans is obviously like your ex-Guff. eye, but like the other two, like they can go do a lot of different things. And Chris Godwin, I still have faith. I know the injury a couple years ago and people wondered if he could come back from that. But I have always admired his game. I love this position change for him. And as the Baker Sons continues, I do think that Liam Cohen, who by the way. I mean, I don't know if it'll continue it. I don't know if he's put two good years together in a row. So that worries me. But he's set up for it. This Bucks team, I hear Bucks fans out there that feel like they don't get talked about, they don't get the respect.

They were in the divisional round last year. There's always one team, like the Giants a couple years ago that, you know, they make the divisional round and just no one thinks they're going to get back. And Bucks fans will be like, yeah, but we've won the division three straight times. Okay, let's tour with Tom Brady and he's not there. And the other one last year, you tied. You tied at 9 and 8, and you won the tiebreaker, and it was great. And you were entertaining to watch by the end of the year.

And you made the lion sweat a little bit in that game. I think, are they the favorites in the division? I don't have a strong... Falcons are close, I think. I don't have a strong feeling, but I think they're closer to being the favorites or are the favorites than what the desert says. At best, I think the Falcons are kind of even with them.

Here's where I would worry. Just the pass rush, you know, they haven't had Randy Gregory show up to camp. He's one where I don't necessarily expect him to play for the bucks. And so you have Yahya Diabe as a second year play. player who got a lot of cleanup sacks. You have a rookie Braswell. You have Joe Tryon.

Not a lot of pass rush. The good thing is the strength of that defense, Cancy and Vita Vaya next to each other. Could they have career years together at the same time? Because if that happens, the whole rest of the defense takes care of itself. They're playing James, week one, by the way.

Todd Bowles versus a rookie quarterback. It's possible if those two guys play their best seasons at the same time. together. That alone with, you know, reasonable play otherwise, which they'll have, and a great coach, that's enough to be dangerous, because those two are crazy. And I was really interested when Canty said he looks at Cameron Jordan as a player he wants to model himself after, which that surprised me, but they are relatively similar body types. And I was like, okay, so you got those two guys. And I think the offensive line has a chance to be really good, quietly. They've,

they've drafted well on the offensive line. And so you have a good offensive line. You have those two guys. They got a chance. I believe in you, Bucks. They got to get Tristan Wurfs figured out. They got to get this situation. But he's there. He's at camp. He's there. There's no reason to believe that it doesn't get worked through, being there, being present, and then they seem to have

come Bucks reporters. Greg Allman does a great job over for Fox Sports. There's sort of this chatter that they've figured out some sort of happy medium of what he will participate in. Again, someone like of Worf's caliber, I'm not exactly worried, super worried if they missed the first. Now they already said

their GM, Jason Light, said he will be the highest paid tackle in the league. So when that happens, it's like, what are we talking about? That means they've already offered him a contract that makes him the highest paid tackle in the league. It's the same thing with Jefferson. When I heard that, I was like, okay, this is over. It'll be fine. It will happen. Raiders fans, be upset.

Dollars into pounds makes sense. You got to learn from Dwayne Wade, who had the, his pronouns are he and him, which I like the first time. But then he went back to it four times. But it's not mine. You got to sprinkle in your catchphrase. It's not mine. I'm citing a source on this one. It's not mine.

But you used it. It's yours now. Jordan, get to practice. Get out of the pitching cage. And yeah, I'm making you work overtime this week because you will be with us on Friday show. So I am looking forward to that. We'll have some content from Rams Camp, but we'll talk about other stuff.

And yeah, after the break, I'm really excited. for you guys to hear a little bit more about the Los Angeles Chargers this season and Jim Harbaugh. King Charger. Bye, Jordan. Bye. What's up, everybody? Daniel Jeremiah here.

And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the Sticks, we take you inside the game from Scouting Reports and Player Development to team-building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters. Every week, we study the tape, talk to decision makers, and share the insights you want. find anywhere else. It's the kind of conversation that connects the dots from college football prospects to the NFL stars of tomorrow. We break down the draft, analyze matchups, and evaluate how teams put it all together on game day. Plus, we dig in the coaching strategies,

roster construction, and the trends that shape the league year after year. Whether you're a diehard fan or just love understanding the game on a deeper level, we give you the full picture. If you want insight that goes beyond the box score, this podcast is for you. Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Six podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Matt Jones. I'm Drew Franklin. And this is NFL Cover Zero. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different.

Did you see the Colts Pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game. What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is easy. exactly what you're going to get. Listen to NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the IHeart

Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. It was another really good day. Just great day for football. Where the pads or no pads, I mean, I just, I look at, how much time do I have today? And today practice gets to be an hour and 45 minutes, and that's what I look forward to. It's an hour and 45 minutes of pure joy for me.

I mean, the distractions of the modern world cease. I have no cell phones to answer just to get to go out there, sun shining, cool breeze coming in off of the ocean. And get to interact, get to interact with the players, the coaches, all of us who have a love. and passion for the game of football. So, yeah, it's just a gift, you know, and then any kind of, and then the excitement, the work, the challenge, you know, all energy, all goes into making it a better day today than yesterday. So tomorrow I'll get two hours, two hours of that pure joy where I don't have to be

inside, I get to be out. The pure joy of training camp He put the pads on on Monday With the Chargers for the first time I was at Chargers training camp And we're going to hear from Hayden Hurst Their tight end I talked to him for a couple minutes

It was very nice to lend his time Then you'll hear a longer interview with J.K. Dobbins Who I really enjoyed And then we'll wrap up the show With Matt Money Smith, our friend But just a few takeaways before we get to that from the day at Chargers camp, that pure joy that Harbaugh is talking about, you could see it.

This is, he's a king. He's the king of the Chargers, and this is his kingdom. The Bolt is this new training facility that they set up. It's beautiful. And I got to admit, it's hard to imagine Brandon Staley presiding over this. It's like he wouldn't be worthy of it. It's a really nice setup. I give the Chargers credit.

The wait rooms outside. It's very cool. because it's near the ocean. As Harbaugh mentioned, it's 70 degrees. They have a great setup in the building where they have the meeting rooms and then right outside the meeting rooms. There's these big patios

where they can actually do the walkthroughs there so they don't even have to go downstairs. And you just saw Harbaugh soaking it up. That joy was obvious. He's so in the mix in these practices where he's breaking it up, he's talking to them, he's running some plays. And then afterwards, he's spending all these times

like having deep conversations with fans, like really engaging with them. And you just see a guy who is enjoying life. I'm fascinated to see how this goes. But it is a totally different vibe around this Chargers team. A couple of things just from practice. Number one, J.K. Dobbins, who will be on the show, was the first team running back, got a ton of reps. There's no Gus Edwards out there. He looks really explosive coming off at Torn Achilles, which was suffered early last season,

much better than I would expect. I think he's going to have a big role on this team. Quentin Johnson caught the first two catches of 11 on 11s. He's in some lineups where he's just two wide receivers on the field. He's going to be a part of this offense. Maybe he's rotated in with DJ Chark and the two tight ends. Obviously, Josh Palmer, but they're trying to get something out of Quentin Johnson. The defense dominated the day, though, for the most part.

Justin Herbert, I think, was frustrated. A lot of pass rush. A lot of hands on the ball. A couple near interceptions. They have a deep pass rush with the chargers. Like Chris Rumpf, I was noticing, was their fifth rusher. He's a good player to be their fifth rusher. So a lot of pressure on Justin Herbert.

Ray Sean Slater was out there, but just for a couple snaps in team drills. And yeah, it's a part of the offseason where the defense, at least for today, was dominating. Finally, it's a unique setup where the L.A. Metro train is going by, multiple times, like every 10 minutes across this practice field. It's a very unique setup. I put it on my Instagram, this ghost train. Other teams could put their spies out there to see what's going on at Chargers camp, but it was a cool setup.

And I'm looking forward to you hearing these interviews and everything I talked about with Matt Money Smith. And it's going to be different for NFL daily. We're going to hit the Rams. We're going to hit the Raiders. I know you feel like it's a West Coast bias. I am going to hit all 32 teams with a deep dive. And so we'll have a board, we'll keep track of it.

These are just the teams I can get to. They're not putting me on the plane. So it is good to get out to see some football. I was feeling that joy today. I hope that comes through. Here are my interviews with Hayden Hurst and J.K. Dobbins and then Matt Money-Smith. What's the different vibes between the Harbaugh coaches? Very similar philosophies.

They're all about working hard, you know, earning everything that you get, which I think that's football to its core. So, you know, I love it and I respect it. I mean, they feel about as football to its core as it gets. Like, are most head coach, I've been to a lot of training game practices, and Jim Harbaugh seems like he is in the mix about as much as any head coach is going to be in the mix. I almost was a little worried for him, like, that he's going to get taken down on some of the back pedals. No, he hops in the drills.

He's got the cleats on. He's over there flipping sleds with us. You know, Harbbs doesn't mess around, man. That's awesome. You were signed here by Joe Horitz. Hortiz, rather. You mentioned that the GM of the charts. I noticed they brought you and Will Disley in around the same time.

And there's questions about, like, what is this offense going to be? The wide receiver group is somewhat uncertain. And I thought they were telegraphing a little bit when they brought in you two guys at the same time. That they'll probably be playing a lot of 12 personnel with two tight ends on the field. You've obviously done that before. Like, does that get you going? What kind of advantages do you think it is to have two tight ends on the field? Yeah, I mean, it's exciting.

Obviously, it's, you know, it's a tight-in-centric offense. You know, I've been in it before, you know, with me, Nick, Mark, Max, Darren Waller. You know, we all did it in Baltimore. So I'm very familiar with how this thing kind of functions. It'll be cool. Cool to do it with Justin. Cool to do it with Will.

Just kind of changing it up a little bit. Obviously, different skill sets, you know, we all bring to the table. But same philosophy. We run it early and often and see what we got after that. What's Justin been like? You've been around some great quarterbacks, obviously. Really, now that I think of it. It's like you've been with three of the top quarterbacks in the entire league and Lamar and Joe Burrow and Herbert.

Like what's unique about Herbo out of that group? I mean, just by looking at him, his stature, you know, he's very impressive. It looks like he could be in our room as well. You know, he's like 6'6, big dude, live arm, and he can put it anywhere on the field. Just his personality is great. It's kind of infectious to be around a guy like that who just loves the game, you know, very easygoing, fun-loving kind of guy. Just wants to be one of the boys. So, you know, it's fun to be with a guy like that.

We don't get a lot of Herbert personality talk, although I did see him. He celebrated one touchdown you guys had there today. I hadn't seen a lot of that. Like, yeah, what is he like? He's just one of the guys. You know, I think the tight ends, offensive line, they're just most normal, I guess, you could say, position-wise, just regular guys. And I think Justin loves just being one of the guys.

I don't know if he necessarily loves being Justin Herbert all the time and getting all the attention. I think he likes to go into the radar and just kind of hang out with the boys. So then that begs the question, like, what's the most abnormal? position group then on the team if you had to rank them top three wide receivers and dbs they kind of like you know they love the instagram post stuff like that which is cool you know they get the the touchdowns and the picks and all the cool stuff so we'll let those guys have it well looking forward to seeing you get some touchdowns obviously be blocking a lot of running for this uh charges team i'm excited to see uh what they do thank you hayden hurst appreciate it man

appreciate it all right we are here with j k dobbins a man i am excited to talk about. He was excited to walk over here. I just, I've already heard from around the building here. You're just like, you got the best personality. You get the most energy of like anyone in that running back room. Now you got no answer for that. Well, I mean, I think that's the truth. Yeah? I think it's the truth. Is that like, I'm fascinated by running backs because seeing you and Gus together to see the two different types of body types that can both excel though. And speaking as a very small man myself, much, much smaller in you. Like, is that, because you're like a shorter guy, you got to make them hear you, you know?

Is that a Napoleon thing? Nah, no, I make them feel me. I make everyone feel me first, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, I might be shorter, but I think I'm... Yeah. A little bit of power to me. Yeah. You know what I'm saying?

But, you know, the looks are nice to have, too. You could be a big, tall guy, you know, but I like the way I look, too. Absolutely. Yeah, I don't know. Like, you could look like me, and then you'd be in trouble. You went out there today in pads the first time. How'd that feel for you coming off, you know, the injury that you had last year, another step to put the pads on and get to real football today?

It's a blessing, you know. The injury I had in the first game was pretty, it was, for lack of better words, weird. Because it was just a regular tackle, you know. I don't know why I gave out. It didn't hurt or none of that, but it was the Lord's plan. You know, it was the plan of Jesus to give me that so I can get here. It's where I feel amazing. I feel so good.

Like with pads on, I feel like I'm in college shape. You know what I'm saying? So I don't know. Maybe the Achilles injury was to make my leg stronger, make my feet quicker and make me more fresh. So I can go have this huge year that I know I'm going to have. Ooh, I like it. Talk to me about the huge year because, yeah, you're out there with the first team to my eye, looking explosive, getting a lot of reps obviously there with Justin. Like, are you ahead of where you expected to be and just how you're feeling? Tell me about that huge year. I'm right. I'm right where I thought I was going to be. You know, I put in the work. I knew when I had the Achilles, I wasn't down about it. I told some people in the locker room for the Ravens, it was like, I'm built for this. Like, this is nothing. This will be like an echo spray. and I'll be back like that, which I was.

I was running, sprinting at five months, you know. Some people say it's unheard of. I don't know. I don't care because I'm going to get this work in, and I know where I need to be. And that's where I'm going, I'm going higher than what I was, you know? And so it's been great, you know, and I'm just going to keep working, keep getting better,

and keep feeling better as well. Right, and you obviously landed with a team that's got some big boys on the offensive line, especially at tackle that has the two tight ends out there. you've got a big smile on your face that's going to run the ball. So it should be a running back's paradise. Like, are you looking forward to that? Oh, yeah. I'm looking forward to see how we jail together.

You know, we just got to keep building our chemistry. Me and the O-line, you know, we got to see everything together. Like, I can't have different eyes than Zion or whoever's that, you know, tackle. I can't have different eyes than Bradley Bowman or whoever's at center or different eyes than Slater. You know, we all got to jail together and have this great. great chemistry so we can we can run that we can run that thing so we had uh back when you were coming out as a prospect we have a guy that used to come on our old show around the NFL his name spice rack and he was so big on you coming out of college and he said you just got to watch

jk. Dobbins because he reminds me of a young emmitt smith and i said oh that you don't hear that comparison too often so ever since he put that in my head i watch you and i do kind of see that in In terms of the vision and being in sync, you mentioned with your offensive lineman, which Emmett was so good at, like, do you have guys that you look at a little bit to model you? And what do you think about that Emmett call? I think that's a good call. You know, we're both shorter guys. So when I was in, when I was at Ohio State, I used to see Emmett.

You know, he used to be on the sidelines, and he's a great guy. Love him, you know, so whenever I, whenever I hear that comparison, because I've heard that comparison a lot, you know. It gives me a reason to be motivated because I know him and I know he's a great guy and I know he's number one, all time on the Russian yards, right? Right. Correct. So I want to be like that. I want to be number one. Like right now, yes, I've had unfortunate injuries.

Right now, no one knows. People know a little bit because they saw a little bit from what I've put out there. But I truly believe that I can be legendary. Okay. Yeah, and you put up the numbers. When you've been out there, six yards per carry, five point seven yards per carry. Like when you've been out there, for the time we got left, I want to kind of hear through your eyes what you see. I want to first ask you before the snap.

What are you looking for as a running back before the snap? Well, I don't want to tell everything, but first I'm going to look at the D line. I got to see what kind of front they're in, you know, so I can know where to anticipate the play going. You know, and then I'm looking at the safety to watch what kind of blisses they might bring if we're in past protection. You know, so and then after that, it's just my killer history comes in and I'm like, all right, nobody's tackling me. Let's get, if I get the ball, no one's tackling me, let's take it to the house. And what kind of keys are you doing after? Because that's why I like watching you run.

You seem to somehow slow down the game a little bit. My favorite running back of all time is Frank Gore, who to me had this way of seeing things ahead of time and getting small through holes. And I think you got a little bit of that in you. And I want to know, like, what is it after the snap that you're seeing? Well, like him, I'm slowing the game down. But that starts with the pre-snap. You know, I'm slowing. If I see what I see on the defense, that slows it down.

When I get the ball, it's slow. I'm taking my time. I'm pretty fast guys, so I know I can restart faster than most defensive players. So, and I appreciate you for giving me, these guys are the legendary that you're throwing out. I'm telling you, you were on our, you know, I don't want to get into the fantasy football of it all, but I brought you. you up as someone to watch definitely this year. I'll wrap with the last quarterback you played with

Lamar Jackson. Now you're playing with Justin Herbert. I know Justin Herbert's not Lamar, but you were front row to see one of the greatest running quarterbacks of all time. Maybe compare just their running styles a little bit and what you've seen out of Justin as a runner, because he can move for a big guy. Man, you know, Lamar, he's my brother, man. I still talk to him to the day. You know, I love him. That's my brother. He knows that, you know, nobody can run like Lamar in the league right now. But my man, Justin, he's my brother as well. I love him as well. He's got more athleticism than people know. You know, he can run. And he, I saw that in college, too. I remember one time, I think it was like a Rose Bowl or something. He, like, took it to the house.

He was like, that guy can run. I didn't know he can run. You know, so a little different. The bar is a lot different, you know, with his moves and stuff. But they both got athleticism, and Justin can do, he can do it all. Okay, you said big year, I'll let you go on this. Like, you're throwing any numbers out there? You got any goals in mind? I'll let you put your numbers out. I let everyone put their numbers out.

And I bet I'll beat those numbers that y'all put out. Okay. I'm thinking like 1,300,300 yards from scrimmage, something like that. Because they want to share the ball a little bit. Gus is going to get his work too. But you're looking, you can still beat that, you're saying. Yes. Okay. I love it. J.K. Dobbins, you heard it. One of my favorite running backs in the league. We'll be back after this with our friend Matt Money Smith. Hey, this is Matt Jones. I'm Drew Franklin. And this is NFL cover zero. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different. Did you see the Colts pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game. What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative,

And entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're going to get. Listen NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. Welcome into the show, one of my favorite people. One of the funniest people I know. That's two lies you've told.

Let's make a three. What else? One of the best storytellers. If you're at a dinner with Matt Money Smith and Dave Damashek, know that you will not get any words in edgewise, but you will be laughing the whole time. Matt Money Smith, it's been a while. Yeah, it's great to see you, Greg.

It's good to see out here at Charger Camp. It's exciting, right? It is impressive here that it's, like, just started. Like, they did it right. I've taken a few years to get it going, but I can't wait to get my son out here. the whole thing is impressive at the bolt. The team's exciting.

You're coming out. You're really scouting. I feel bad for taking your time while old Herbert is out there. But let's hear about Herbert first. What do you see so far this year? You were at the OTAs. You were at many camps. How do you think he fits with this office?

Well, you know, today's first thing, we're doing this first day of padded practice. So it's kind of hard, you know, to really kind of get any official football analysis in there. But what I've seen bouncing his step, I think he's, beyond happy to have Shane Dayback. It was kind of weird that he was pushed away in the first place. Those two had a real special bond and you know all the success he had, you know, early in his career.

So I think, you know, that kind of, I think, opened the door for a heck of a relationship between his head coach when he's like, look, before I hire a quarterback coach, who do you want? And let's see if we can get them and now Shane is back. So I think that helps. And I think it's important for people to remember, you know, people like you who do the quarterback index and the rankings and all those sort of things that this is a guy that has not had the easiest path.

His best year, in my opinion, was his first year because he had Shane Stike and Colin plays. And you saw the magic that happened and how he utilized his skill set to maximize what Justin Herbert can do out there. So I'm very excited for him to partner with not just Greg Roman, but Jim Harbaugh. I think it's going to be a real special relationship for him.

Yeah, one thing, even just seeing the start of this practice, like Harbaugh is in the middle of everything. He's stopping the whole practice down to talk to everyone. The way they've built this team, though, getting rid of the big names at wide receiver. You got a rookie in McConkey. You have Quentin Johnson. I noticed that the first two catches there in teamwork here. Like, how do you think that receiver situation works out?

And then they brought in the tight ends. We're going to have Hayden Hurst on in a bit. Like, how does this all look? I like it. I know people will say I'm biased, you know, because I work for the Chargers. But I think it's a really good collection for what Herbert does. I don't know what the top three will be. I don't know how often they're going to be in 11.

You know, they're probably going to be in a lot more 12. And just kind of watch them. One of the more interesting numbers to keep an eye on is 71 McFadden, who was drafted as a tackle, guard, center work. And now he is doing a lot of the Patrick Ricard stuff out there. So I think you're going to see, you know, I don't know what the receiver rotation is going to look like. One thing I can tell you, though, is Ladd McConkey's a problem. He is slippery. And you are seeing dudes get their ankles broken every single day out there.

the route running prowess that was celebrated as someone who was like a 10-year vet that I don't think that was overselling him. That is certainly what his skill is and that's a skill that Herbert loves. It's a lot to ask for a rookie to be a one. But they don't really need it to be a one. They need him to be

one. But in terms of snaps, yeah, if I had to guess who gets the most snaps, it's probably him. Yeah, I mean, Josh Palmer if he's healthy, he's like, to me, he's wildly underrated. Anytime he he had to step in for Mike Williams or Keen and Allen when they were hurt, he'd come up with a hundred-yard game. If you look through his game logs,

you'll see, yeah, you got the targets, and there is a problem is you just have struggle with health. So if he stays healthy, I think he's unequivocal, number one, and I kind of like the way it's built, right? So, DJ Chark is your outside X, and I think that allows McConkey, who we saw lineup, you were

standing next to me a little bit on the outside for some of the early 11-on-11s. I think you can be flexible with he and Josh, and they can both really shine in either of those spots. You've been around just talking with the coaches, and and watching the practice, just like who surprised you, I guess? Like, who are some players on this team that you're into?

Yeah, so one, just, we were discussing before we walked over the sheer size of Joe Walt. You get it. It's like, oh, yeah, I get this. This makes sense. This is someone that is larger than, you know, NFL players are larger than most humans, and this is a guy who's larger than most NFL players. It's humbling. I mean, these, you had, what did you say that if this was a...

Four thousand years ago, you and I would have, some serious problems. Right, we'd be dead. And I appreciate you throwing yourself into the same mix as me, but it's humbling, but it is nice to be around these monstrous men. Defensively, like,

I don't know. Like, this is such a mystery box to me of, like, what this team is going to look like, how they're going to line up and how these guys that they almost surprisingly to me came back, Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack fit in with everyone else here. So I don't have, I think the edge group's

going to be great. You know, I think, Obviously, I'm never going to project for bad health, so I'm assuming everyone's going to stay healthy as crazy as that may sound. But if you have that rotation, Tully and Bud Dupree are starting edges on a lot of teams in the NFL. So to have that four and to try to keep them fresh the way Coach Minderreth wants to rotate them, that's great. Secondary is kind of where we have our question marks, and you might have a little battle at that nickel corner with Jaw Taylor and the rookie Tarheeb still, who really kind of has flashed a little bit. They probably, they need to find that second safety so they can really unlock Derwin. You know, Aloi's solid, you know, underrated because he's not really that flashy athlete, but just a very cerebral smart player.

So I think if they can find that second safety, unlock Durwin. And then beyond that, Greg, I think it's going to be the linebackers. You know, of Junior Colson is what we think he can be as a rookie. You know, he had a penicitis, so he's not been practicing. But I'm, if there's one player, I want to keep, you know, Darwin, Joey, just push that stuff aside. There's one player I'd watch, zero. Dion Henley.

I think that's your prototypical 2024 NFL linebacker with how fast and how athletic and also how strong he is. I'm fascinated by that because to me you look at the teams that struggled in the playoffs it's because their linebacker play stunk.

The Chargers team got hurt by linebacker play. This is a team that I've been overly excited about. I have year after year. Year after, yeah, last year. I took one year off, which was 2022,

which it would have been, It was fine to take off. Now they're, I'm not saying they're under the radar or anything, but you've been here as a part of this move up to Los Angeles. Give me more just the high view of like Jim Harbaugh arrives here. Like, how does it feel? You are part of the organization. Ultimately, you're the play-by-play guy for the Chargers.

And can they finally make dopes like me who think they're going to be great? Because now that I'm around it and I just see the uniform and this place is cool and Herbert is still Herbert, Now I'm kind of back in. I'm like, why not this team right now? It's Jim Freaking Harba. That's what you just said it. I think that's exactly what it is. They needed someone to walk through that door that says, I'm a winner.

All right, you guys are very talented, but let's win. And that's what I do everywhere I go. So I think that's exactly what they needed. It feels like they're responding to that in terms of, you know, so you'll see it today. After practice, they do what they call fourth quarter OT period. And you're talking about guys that are out here in the sun, practicing for two hours, today's full pads.

Ben Herbert's going to put them through, bear crawls on their fingers and toes, they're going to flip sleds, they're going to drag the, you know, they're going to flip the sleds here, they're going to drag those sleds over there, and it's like another 20 minutes, and they're all jacked and geeked to do it because they believe it's kind of what, you know, coaches

is sort of preached. Everybody's good, and these things typically come down to the end of half and the end of games got to be able to outlast your opponent, and that's what that's all about, and they seem, they want it. know i mean herbert wants it derwin wants it these leaders of this there's a reason why joey bosa and kalil mac took pay cuts because they want it here and i think they they're really buying in

and they believe what he's what he's kind of pushing here yeah i when i heard bosa who's a man a few words kind of just mumble out you know like well when he says it we know it's gonna right it matters like we like he's done it before so if he says that there's no doubting and i'm i'm immediately thinking well there probably was some doubting but we don't need to talk trash on who wasn't there before. You're not on your fingers and toes, but I'm guessing you did some, like, surfing this morning. I did.

I did surf this morning. I just squeeze in a quick session because I had to get up here early. If you want some hot dad content, check out Matt Money says Instagram. Like, sometimes he's got the shirt off. He's putting us the same. You said I was funny. You said I don't remember what the other one was that I was. Good storyteller. Good storyteller.

And now I get the good looking guy. All lies. I'm not saying good looking, but the body. I got you. Yeah, for your For your age, I'm not going to go. For my age, there we go. Making me feel bad. Yes, because I am weird looking in the face. I absolutely accept that.

Matt Money Smith. Yes, loved it, Craig. Thank you so much. That's going to be it for today's show. We will be back on Wednesday with Will Rinson looking forward to that show, picking our guys for the 2024 season. This is an IHeart podcast.