The Kevin Sheehan Show - Devin Hester & Brian Mitchell

Episode Date: August 2, 2024

Kevin opened with Devin Hester's induction into the Hall of Fame and whether or not he's cleared a path for more returners including Brian Mitchell. After that, Fred Smoot jumped on to talk about the Commanders and lots of other NFL topics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You don't want it. You don't need it. But you're going to get it anyway. The Kevin Cheehan Show. Here's Kevin. The show's presenting sponsor, as always, is Wind Donation. Call them at 86690 Nation or head to Windonation.com. Mention my name for a free, no obligation, in-home estimate.

Today's show is pre-recorded. I did this show on Thursday. You're hearing it on Friday. So if there's any breaking news, you're not going to hear about it. on the show today. I'll address it when I get back. I am on vacation in Ireland, and I will be back next weekend in time for the first preseason game against the Jets a week from Saturday. Today's opening segment is going to focus on Devin Hester and Brian Mitchell. Devin Hester is going into the Hall of Fame this weekend, and I think he deserves it. I think he's the greatest

returner I have ever watched in my lifetime of watching NFL football. He was the most game plan for. He was the best in the game during his years in the league. And I think he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. And I think he is right now of the returners that are talked about the given for the Hall of Fame. Everybody else deserves consideration, but he's the one given. Brian Mitchell tops the list of the others that deserve serious consideration. You know, you can look at guys like Dante Hall and Josh Cribbs and Eric Metcalf and others. Brian of the rest, to me, tops the list. But Devin Hester is the given. He was the best returner and there was no debate about it during his time in the NFL. He was, he was. He was,

was a multi-time pro bowler, four times in the pro bowl, three times an all-pro. By comparison, if you're curious, Brian made one Pro Bowl during his career and was an All-Pro however three different times just once on the All-Pro first team, twice on the All-Pro second team. Both of them had some success playing positional football. Brian was actually a very good backup running back during the 92 season in particular. And also as the starting running back in 93 on the team with Richie Pettibone as a coach, he was an outstanding runner, really good vision Brian had as a runner, very good pass receiver.

Brian also, and I've talked about this over the years, Brian was one of those players that coaches really relied on. Brian was a super high IQ football player. There's the story about when Heath Schuller was the quarterback, and basically Norv Turner relied on Brian at times to actually call the plays because he knew the playbook better than the quarterback did. Brian deserves consideration, as do, as I mentioned, a few others. Brian is a volume returner, number one all time.

I think most of you know this. Brian is number two behind Jerry Rice on the. all-time, all-purpose yardage list. Brian's got 23,330 career yards over a 14-year career with three teams. Jerry Rice, 23,546 yards. Brian is literally just 216 yards short of Jerry Rice. It's not like he's way behind Jerry Rice. He is way ahead of Walter Payton, who's third on that list. About 1,500 yards in front of Walter Payton and about 1,800 yards in front of Emmett Smith, who is fourth on the list. You look at the all-purpose yardage leaders in the history of the game. They're all positioned players, not primarily returners. Some of them were returners as well,

but you don't see a true returner until you get to number 18 with Eric Metcalf. at 17,230 career yards. Brian's the all-time kickoff and punt-return yardage leader by far. 19,013 of his 23,000-plus yards came on returns. He's 4,000-plus yards ahead of Alan Rossum, who's number two. I would have never guessed Alan Rossum as a combined kickoff and punt-returner as number two. I would have guessed somebody like Devin Hester or Dante Hall or Mel Gray, somebody like that. Hester is actually eighth on the all-time.

He also had a shorter career than some of these other players. Not shorter than Dante Hall's. Dante Hall's numbers are incredibly impressive considering he only had a nine-year career. Brian was tough. He was physical. He had great. vision. He certainly had a gear that, you know, whatever he had to hit, he would outrun you. And Brian was, you know, the heart and soul of some of the teams that he was on because of his overall competitive fierceness. And that's something that made him a special player. Brian also was a big-time clutch player. Brian had big returns in big games. Brian had a big return

in his final game in Washington, a playoff game at Tampa Bay, where he returned a kickoff to open up the second half, 100 yards to give Washington a 10-to-nothing lead in that game at Tampa Bay, a game they went on to lose. If not, they would have been the team to face the greatest show on turf, St. Louis Rams, in the NFC title game. Brian had a huge playoff game against Minnesota following the 92 season, and took a fake punt.

He wasn't the punter. He was the up guy for a big run that sparked them to a 24-7 playoff win on the road in the Metrodome, which, by the way, was the place that they had won the Super Bowl the year before. And that proceeded, by the way, the game we talked about last week, which was Gibbs' final game as head coach his first go-around at Candlestick in the divisional round when they lost to the 49ers, a game where Brian played well, but was a part of that botched handoff that cost him the game. Wasn't Brian's fault.

The ball was slipping from Rippin's hands on a muddy field with a gaping hole in front of him. Brian's still running, and Washington probably goes on to win that game if Rippin can hold on to the football. He had big return after big return in Philadelphia. I always felt that the thing about Brian Mitchell that I loved as a player, and I was a big fan of Brian. I've told him that before as a player when I was a fan and not a media person, is that he was clutch. Every big game, Brian played big.

You know, that combined with the incredible toughness and fierce, competitive, you know, spirit that he had, he deserves consideration. The knock against Brian would be average yards per return. His career punt return average was 10.8 yards per punt return, 33rd all time. His average kickoff return was 23.1 yards. That's 173rd all time. But he leads yardage. He's second all-purpose yardage.

He scored 13 touchdowns, nine on punt returns, four on kickoff returns. By comparison, by the way, Devin Hester had 19 touchdowns, 14 on punts, five on kickoffs in 11 years, so three fewer years of a career. Brian went to the Pro Bowl one time, just one time, believe it or not. That actually really surprised me, and he was one time a first team all pro. Devin Hester was a four-time pro bowler and a three-time first team all-old. pro. Hester was a member of the all 2000s team and the all 2010's team. Brian did not make either one of those. Brian was a Super Bowl champion. Hester and the Bears lost in their one opportunity

in the Super Bowl, even though it wasn't because of him. He took the opening kickoff for a house call. Hester to me is a given. A lock. He deserves it. Brian's at the top of the list of others that deserve serious consideration for the Hall of Fame. And I think Hester getting in as primarily a returner will clear the way for more serious conversation about Brian Mitchell as a potential Hall of Famer in the future. So we'll see what happens there. I do think Brian would be next on the list and deserve to be next on the list if they decide that Hester opened up the door for other returners to be considered. Rate us and review us if you get a chance, especially on Apple and Spotify.

Apple gives you a chance to give us five stars. Write a quick one to two sentence review. It's really huge for us if you do that. Subscribe to the podcast and follow us on Apple and Spotify as well. Fred Smoot, after these words from a few of our sponsors. This segment of the show brought to you by Window Nation. People are talking about Wind Donation. Their customer, Vicki, wrote,

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single day. He's doing the Commander's YouTube show with Logan and with Santana. Just go to Washington Commanders YouTube or go to Washington Commanders.com. And you'll get to see all of Fred's work with Logan and Santana. Before we get to your early, very early observations,

because they have not played a regular season game yet, as you know, I want to know what it was like in 2001 with Marty Schottenheimer's training camp compared to this one. Well, putting it like this one, they out there pillify compared to us. Right. You got to realize that's when two a days were still two a days, Professor.

That's when you literally had to take their power nap in between practices to survive. And then you got to realize we was in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It was 105 degrees in Pennsylvania. I was like, oh, my God. Like, it was my first time being in Pennsylvania. So it was surreal. I remember being out there like my third, fourth day in the first day. practice like, did I pick the

won career? This is not for everybody. So it's totally different for this. I think the physicality of it, and I never forget because I held out like three or four days for some extra money. I get there and Marty, it was like, you know, I know he can cover, I drafted him, I know he can cover

Kenny Tackle. And he put me at middle linebacker and goal line and I had to take on Gunnell Bennett and Fullback and Stephen Davis at tailback, because I don't have to tell you how that ended, Professor. It didn't end well for the kid. That's interesting. I mean, did he put you in that position to see that you could tackle, but was it also an issue of

I'm going to make him work a little bit harder because he was late getting into camp because he didn't sign his contract on time? I think they want to see what I buy down. Would I not try? Will I not? You know, I think they want to see my mental, which I'm sure after like three or four days they understood that I was insane. So it was fine. It worked out perfect. Do you remember the moment in maybe it wasn't in training camp? Maybe it was at some point

during your rookie year. Not that you ever have lacked confidence, but was there a moment where you realized, okay, I belong. I'm a professional football player. I guess the moment was, because you're a little anxious when you first get there. Right. Because you've been, you're a little anxious, issue a little star struck and you got to realize so you got to really like keep your feet on the ground. I would say my preseason game against Kansas City and they tried to throw three fade routes on a row in me in the goals are in the red zone. And I knocked down all three of them and then I was like not only do I belong like I can I can dominate his times if I want to. So it was more of them things like I don't think you find out you belong on a team at practice. But when you

when you see other players in the league, now you say I belong with the rest of them. Now I got to figure out where do I fit in in the picking order. So that's pretty quick, don't you think, for somebody to realize that they've arrived and that they're a pro football player? When was it that you realized, hell with that, I can start on this team?

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. It started at practice. Okay. Because you've got to realize I can't not practice with these guys and don't compare my productivity to them. I'm already just leaving the SEC with me and Champ was in the SEC together, so I know everything about Champ.

Darrell Green, nothing else needs to be said. Dion Sanders was my idol, so I did everything out of him and talked to him doing college, so I had a relationship with him. So once I got on the field and started to make plays, I understood, yeah, I can play with them, and I deserve to be with this group of guys

that I'm with. And that's why the first game of the same, season was San Diego charges. But real game, I was beat as a player of the week. I had an interception for I'm recovering like seven, eight tackles. So it was more of the thing where I just, my confidence was

there, but I needed to see me. I need to see me with them, if you know what I mean. I need to run with the horses to know that I could be in the Kentucky Derby. Do you remember who the quarterback was in that San Diego game? Doug Flutie. That's my first interception.

Doug Flutie and Curtis Conway tried to beat me on a deep post route. I went out that deep post route, but I do remember this when I'm watching that game, because they were the first time me and the Danny and Thomas, which all of the classmates, we played against each other. He had a hell of a game also. But I remember watching that game,

and I thought it was two junior sales out there because I would watch the offense go against their defense, and he was just everywhere. Him and Rodney Harrison, and that was surreal to me. Like, the one thing I did a good job of, no matter of what was going on, I always paid attention,

to the other pros, and Junior's say I just blew me away. I mean, that was an ugly. I know we've talked about this before, but it was such an ugly start to the season. I mean, you got blown out by the Chargers, and we've talked about this before. 9-11 came two days later after that season opener in 2001. And then you came back,

and the first Monday night game after 9-11, a couple of weeks later, when football resumed was against the Packers, 37 to nothing. You guys got outscored 67 to 3 to start the season. But you... Thank you, thank you for fair. Yeah, well, it also was one of the great turnarounds, and you and I have talked about it a million times.

It was the single biggest football mistake that Dan made, which was getting rid of Marty Schottenheimer. Did you have during camp as a rookie a true mentor? Did Daryl Green grab you and say, you know, this is how you do it? Was there a veteran player that you looked up to? And that came to you to help? I had, of course, I had Daryl. They had my locker right next to him, so I could always talk to Daryl.

But I think Champ was the one that is in between being somebody that talked to you every, you know, month about something you might be going through and somebody that talks to you every day. And that's what me and Champ was. champ Bailey was that for me. Like any questions I had or anything, and me and him used to, we used to just sit and do things like draw plays against each other. Like, he was like, you're on office,

I'm on deep big, can you beat this deep? We were just problems solved together, and I would bring out a talking part of champ that nobody could bring out. And he made it very easy for me. And Bruce Smith made it easy for me. Actually, you know, I ain't going to lie. He gave me hell from the door.

You know how a veteran finds a rookie that he liked and he kind of picks on him? that what Bruce was for me, but he also, anytime I needed some concrete stuff, he would be there. You know, I've told you this before, but maybe not when we've been doing stuff together. But for those of you that don't remember, Fred was a really good NFL cornerback people. I mean, he was on that team with Daryl Green in Champ Bailey, but Fred, he was one of those confident corners. he could hit, he anticipated, he had hands. You know, you didn't make, I don't think you made a Pro Bowl,

but I think you were probably close to it. I was a Pro Bowl alternate four years in a row, my first four years. Alternate four years in a row. And that's the time that the guys used to actually go to the Pro Bowl. They won't go miss the Pro Bowl. So the Eagles, because they was winning the division at that time, Bobby Taylor would go and Troy Vincent. And then off the losing team, they were.

choose champ. And I was always, and I led the team in interceptions my first four years. I was the first red-skinned corner to do it. I led the team in interceptions every year I was here. Wow. I didn't know that. I mean, you had, I remember some big picks, too, in games, but, you know, especially when we got to, you know, the competitive season in, in, the playoff season in 2007. Because you were not, I'm trying to think, you were not on the 2005 team, right? I wasn't on the 5th team. Yeah, right, you were on the 2017. And a good note about that 2007 year, I became the second cornerback in history to play over 400 snaps and not give up a touchdown.

I went the whole entire year and did not give up a touchdown, even through the playoff game. Anyway, well. But I would have got some love if we were a playoff team, if we were a championship team, then they would have made me a pro bowl. Yes, for sure. I mean, that's always the benefit, right, of playing on a really good team when you are kind of a borderline pro bowl player. And that's what I'm saying.

Do you have a sense that fans don't realize that you were really good? I think they do. I don't think they take my career for, you know, when I talk to them, yeah, they always, they always prop me up and tell me how much respect they have. for my game. So I don't think that. I just think maybe nationwide people didn't know, maybe, you know. Yeah. All right. Let's talk about Camp. So what would be your headlines so far based on your own observations? I would say this team, this organization, these players are being ran. It's ran like a professional team. Everything is being done the right way. From the fan experience,

to have practices. I'm so impressed with how they were in practice to the point where the players do not get a minute off until like 11-on-11 starts. That means ain't no such thing as one-on-one drill with them. Whatever drill they're doing, they're having two to three-four more players mimic it on the side of it.

So if they're doing a DBWI receiver drill, they got two, three, four more DBs doing it right there beside them. They are motion, they are organized chaos. they are challenging them in a way. And the one thing that I really love about a guy like Greg Williams, we were so well coached and well, like, prepared that I'd never had a second thought. And that's what I'm seeing with these players. And that's why I'm trying to urge the fans base.

Do not judge these players of what happened last year. Not one of these players. Because when you have bad parents, you've got bad kids. And the big gist of this thing is, all right, if you notice, Nobody on this defense played well last year. Everybody want to point at fours and say what he didn't do. Nobody played well, all right? Well, watch these same guys this year when they go out there and they feel good about the game playing.

When they know that their coaches are setting them up for success, it's a whole different view for every player on this roster. Last year, you know, you didn't think so as we were going through it. Some of the times we had, you know, I had you on the show because you were, you remained positive, but it was dysfunctional the entire season. It was doomed before it started, don't you think? Yes, it was because any time you have a coach coaching for his career, you can fill it in the building. All right?

It was, like you say, it was doomed from the door because they knew it was going to be a restart to it. Like it was one of those things where, like Thanos say, it was inemnable. It was going to happen, and nothing we could do to stop it. You've watched about a week or so of practices in training camp. Tell me who has stood out to Fred Smoot. Who's been impressive so far? Corrin Martin has been super impressive, Jeremy Chinn. All the DB, the linebacker Frankie Louvre jumps out the screen like a superhero.

I don't know if you've seen Deadpool and Wolverine, but he is your Wolverine. It's so good. And he jumped off. Bobby Wagner. The Bobby Wagner effect is very similar. to what we had in the London Fletcher effect. Like I love it when one guy walks in the room and we understand there go L. Capitan. Let's fall in line.

Let's understand. And let's get on the same page. So most definitely impressed with him. Farrell, Colin Farrell looks good running around out there too. Actually, I have been more, like I said, I have been just so impressed with the practice structure, the way they go about handling the business, the way they go about competing, the intensity level. The attention to detail is what you see from the first time that you out there,

like, all right, these guys are super detail. And they're challenging each other. They understand this is a rat race. When you literally restructured three, fourths of the roster, and everybody understands, oh, right, this is a clean slate for everybody. It just brings out a different part of an athlete. Everybody knows now that nobody has Libet with this coach staff. Everybody has to earn everything with this coaching staff.

Tell me about a couple of people, in particular, beyond the names you've already mentioned. What kind of camp is Jamon Davis having? Well, Jamie is being asked to rush to pass, which I think he's going to excel it. I think they're saying, you know what? Don't think. Just go play. All right, we want you to play fast. Can he do that?

Yes, I think he can. It ain't like the one thing I just said, it do not handicap the way you think about these players from previous coaches and previous time on the field. We are a prisoner of coaching. We can only do what a coach tells us to do, and if he ain't putting us in the best place to make plays, are using our best skill set, that ain't on us. Now, we're going to get blamed for it, but that's not on us.

Yes, Damon can rush the pass him to. We just never asked him to, but the times we did ask him to blitz, he got after the pass, or they were ready to see him play in space. Well, guess what? This coach's staff is not asking you to do that. this coach yourself is asking you to be a chaser. Somebody that run down plays from the back side. Somebody that run down quarterback, their sex quarterback.

He will be asked to do multiple things that he hasn't been asked to do. That don't mean he cannot do those things, and that's what I like. But it's a couple of guys, not just on the defense. I think Ben Sinait is standing out. He's making plays. He's running around out there. Tremaine, a wide receiver that nobody's talking about. He's actually making a lot of plays.

And I think everybody forgets about Dotson because he had that down year last year. Dawson looks sharp right now. And not only looks sharp, he looked mentally determined to prove to people that I'm a true one be in this league. All right. And I can most definitely, and I'm going to tell you what makes the wide receiver feel good, knowing that his quarterback is going to be there. Like the one thing that Terry and all these guys, they've had this revolving door of who's the trigger man. Now they understand.

Now I can learn this guy because this guy will be around. No, I could really get in my bag because he can learn what I like and what I don't like. And what my body needs to be in where I need to be on the field. So most definitely, and I've got to say, everybody, I've heard a lot of chatter around saying what the team hasn't done when it comes to the offensive line. You upgraded at Center. You upgraded at Guard. You drafted a young tackle. We never know what line going to look good in the NFL until the year start.

You never know what these players are capable of, and you want them to address things. Let me tell you what addressing looks like. Addressing looks like drafting an officer lineman in the top five that ain't a good officer alignment. It happens all the time. Addressing it is signing an old wild event that you know what? Can't play at the level he used to. At the end of the day, when you talk about the officer line, if they prove it, let me show

you type of group, let these guys show you who they are. Well, I think the offensive coordinator and the quarterback have a lot to do with how we view an offensive line. Very true. Very true. And understand this quarterback has legs. This quarterback won't just be a stool pigeon sitting in the back of the air and getting sack. He's not going to let that happen. The officer coordinator is going to make sure this line is on the move. This won't be a just hike the ball and I'm a seven-step drop and you know where I am in the pocket. It's going to be so many things that affect this. And that's what I keep telling people, and they always tell him, you know, the office line, office line. You don't know until this group just hands to work together.

Do you not know that Sam Cosman is one of the top guards in his league? Yeah, I said it. One of the top guards in his league. Be honest, listen, he is a very good center. And we haven't had a very, very good center since Chase Rudy A problem. So at the end of the day, they did sprinting that. and they're scripted by drafting a quarterback with wheels. A couple more players before we get to Jaden.

What kind of camp is Emmanuel Forbes having? And I'm not being a prisoner to the prisoners that the coaching staff kept last year. I just want to know, clean slate. What does Forbes look like to you? He's smiling. He's happy. He's happy to be a part of his defense. He's actually running around.

He's actually making plays. His confidence is back. Like, the worst thing you could ever do to a quarterback is take their confidence. And I think last year with the situations they put him in, that his confidence was down. Now he'd had a whole summer to rebuild it. He's actually put on some weight. He's running around.

He's looking fast. And I told you, this is a DB's dream. Like, I watched Charles Woodson go to Pro Bowl to Pro Bowl in his defense. I watched Richard Sherman, Brandon Browner, I go to Pro Bowl, to Pro Bowl out of this defense is built for defensive backs. So at the end of day, before, like I said,

I don't think I was worried about, I'm never worried about his talent. I was worried about his mental, and his mental is there, and that's why I'm happy with where he's at right now. He's looking good, and St. Juice is looking good, and that's why I had to ask myself,

like, with all the corners in Joe Wick and Coach Dee's, defense, they tall corners, long corners, all right, but they also ball hawks.

So I'm trying to, I'm eager to see how it's really, going to work with St. Juice because St. Juice has never been what you call a ball hawk. Now, what he will do is stay in between the quarterback and the, I mean, the wire receiver and the football. He's a nullifier. But when they like guys that turn the ball over, aka Brand last year, aka D.D. is the year before. You're talking about nine him-picked guys. So I'm going to be eager to see how they go. Did the year go on? All right. You answered the next guy, which was Benjamin St. Juice.

What's Cliff Kingsbury's offense going to look like? And you know what? I think it's going to be whatever it needs to be that day. Do you remember New England? Yeah, whatever it takes. Whatever it takes if we need to run B-Rob 40 times today because it's raining out here and their defensive line, it's off so big. All right, if we need to throw it 30-40 times because their defensive base, stink in three of them are out and we need to take advantage of these backups,

they will do that. And that's why they got guys. Like, you can see Ben Sennick, he would be from fullback to H-back to tight-in within one session, all right, showing them we will do whatever it takes. And I think what people have to do when it comes to coordinators and head coaching, head coaching and coordinating are two different things. When a head coach has to worry about everything, they get diluted. But then once they get back to coordinate, so he's only focused on nothing but that

offense and that quarterback, watch him shine. That's his real will. Like, he's refreshed. He took a year away from football. He's hungry. You can literally tell that he's, like, the one thing I could say that I think that's going to be one of the best attributes that he's bringing is, I think he self-checked himself and say, what didn't I do good at my last stop while I was calling plays?

And I think he's going to fit this offense to really do what. Jane does well, to do what Terry does well, to make sure Echler gets it, gets his carry. I think he understands what it takes to win in this league's 50 from a head coaching eyes. And now that he got off as a coordinator eyes and times and hours, I think now he feels free to do his job. Some games, Fred, are going to be played in Winterfell. Others are going to be played, you know, inside and Dorn. So you've got to be prepared and have the game plan.

for the location. All right, let's get to Jaden Daniels. Tell me what you think. You were high on him coming out of OTAs and minicamp. What's he looked like to you in this first week? Like me and Doug William was talking about yesterday, and we sit and had a conversation about him. I'm not one of these people that I'm going to get blown away

by watching him through a 70-yard bomb at practice and trainer captain Terry. Oh, I know he can stroke the ball. We got touch on the ball. I'm so impressed with Jayden Daniels, the person that the athlete, I ain't worried about the athlete no more. Like, when you talk to this guy, when you sit around this guy, he has a contagious, like, he's contagious energy.

He's not, I'm the D. Will prop me up on the number two pick. I'm not. None of that. And that tells me right there, he's the right man for the job. Is it going to be some muscle down this year? Like every rookie quarterback is going to be some. musk and down, and I don't want to hear about

CJ Squad. That's an anomaly. All right? That's an anomaly. That never happens in this league, all right? It ain't been too many people did what he did. Because I have that type of ability. Yes, he does. With anybody talking about the Texas this time last year? No, there

wasn't, and they're not talking about us either. And that's a good thing. I think it's set up for him to be great. I think Terry is his lead dog. I think having a guy young like McCaffrey to grow with him. having B-Rob, a guy that can run down here, can run the edges, but can also catch. Zach Ertz is going to be his best friend in the middle of the field.

I think everything's set up for him to have a good year. Now, if it turned into a great year, so be it. But the person, Professor, I am blown away. Like, face of the franchise, he's the type guy you want to be the face of your franchise. All right. Let's take a quick break. We'll have more with Fred Smoot right after these words. from a few of our sponsors.

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com promo code Kevin, D.C. We continue with Fred Smoot. Who's going to lead the team in Sacks this year? You're going to lead. Doris Armstrong, Jamie Lewis, Frankie Louvo. It could be a lot of those guys. Like Frankie Louvo, Professor,

he's a blessing. I can't wait until you see him in action. Like, I cannot wait until you see. He jumped off the screen. He jumped off the screen like a superhero. I'm talking like Deadpool. He just,

he jumped off the screen. Frankie Louvoo probably lead the team in sex. And I wouldn't be shocked. If he's right there second and tackles right behind Bobby Wagon. This, Deadpool and Wolverines worth it? Oh, it's so worth it. Listen, it's a breath of fresh air. People said Marvin had fell out.

Marvel is back. I'm sorry. Like, it's a perfect mixture of adventurous, funny, from the time it starts to the time it ends. Oh, yeah, it's good. It's great. You got to go see it. I'm loving entertainment right now.

I get all my Marvel stuff, house over the drag. It's blowing my mind. It's a great time to be a human being and be alive right now. I've not watched House of Dragon yet. I've got to catch up. What are you waiting on? Come on. Listen to me.

This is why the Targaryians only had the Nairus, her brother, and John Snow left this Targary. We're seeing the demise. And when I say it's Dragon on Dragon violence, I mean totally like, correct. See, it's like literally right now, we got bastards. riding dragons, high fighting his death. All right, that's what we got right now. We got like eight dragons in the show.

I flipped it on here and there, but I got to start it from the beginning. I mean, we're talking about, what, 175 years before Game of Thrones, right? Yes, we're talking about that long ago. So it's the nearest great, great, great-grandmother, all right? Yeah, exactly. And it's showing the fall, the fall of the house. And you've got the Valerians in here. So it's a lot of families that wasn't in House of Drag.

I mean, there wasn't in Game of Thrones because they died always. So it's a lot of new houses that's in here. So the pot is stirred. I think that they have a chance to be one of those teams, one of the three or four teams each year that no one's expecting anything from and they end up being the surprise team. It's the most optimistic I've been since Cousins, was here, you know, 2017, 2016. And they were terrible defensively. I agree with you. I think the

defense, it should be a lot better. Last year, it was dysfunctional. The offense was dysfunctional last year. Everything should be, from an atmosphere standpoint, much better. But, you know, you still have to get that, you know, I always describe it as basically 25 teams out of the 32, Fred, every year. if you stay healthy, if the ball bounces your way, if you play teams at the right time, sometimes it's not who you play, but it's when you play them. If everything kind of comes together, you can be 10 and 7, and if it doesn't, 7 and 10. 25 teams are in that boat, and I would put this team in that group of 25 teams, wouldn't you? And that's why I tell people, why do people like to talk in absolutes at this time of year?

It's the NFL you should never do that. Yes, and everybody takes the year before and said, oh, this should be your fantasy, darling. This is going to be the number one team. This is going to be the number one. No, it's not. Every year, five new teams going to the playoffs because if you like it or not, somebody has to come out of nowhere.

Somebody got realized that their situation is not as good as they thought. And some are going to realize that our situation is not as bad as we thought. They took the middle of this roster and gutted it. they changed the talent level. They brought the floor up. So it ain't no talent with a ceiling there. And mark my word. And I've been doing my little study for the last couple of years.

Teams with the best linebacking course. That one group, I've watched the Ravens with Queen and everything they did, and I watched the 49ers, and I watched the Kansas City, and I watched these teams with these group of linebackers. They've seen the wins the most games. Well, we have one of the best wives. I mean, linebacker corps is in the league. All right?

I'm telling you now, we do. All right. I think we got enough game changes. We got enough guys that can do their job right. Sometimes you don't need to be great. You need to do your job. And we've got enough people that can do their job that we're going to scare people. Mark my word, about the eight weeks of the year, nobody's going to want to play us.

They might not appear. They might not fear us. But they're not going to want to play us. Are you one of those people that think the Cowboys are going to take a big step back? Yes, they are. The Cowboys are finished. Listen, we just talked about the floor and the ceiling.

The Cowboys have shown us their ceiling, and they've shown us their ceiling when they have to pay their guys. The Cowboys got one problem. They got guys that they pay in the top five at their position. They're not at the top five of their position. Lawrence, the Pairs Rush, pay like a top five. He is not. They had Tyrants.

We'll pay like a top five attacker. He is not. He was close in his prime. He was close in his prime. Yeah, but his availability was not his best ability. All right? So then you got a guy like that who you know how I feel about that. He's paid like a top five guy, but when he comes to playoff, he's not a top five guy.

Now you've got to pay C.D. Lamb in the top five. Now you've got to play. I don't want to know what they got to give Michael Parsons. Don't forget Glenn is coming up. We're watching the team being tore up by their own. success when they really haven't had success. Yes, they have three back to back to back, to back, 12 wins season. Yes, they have. They haven't finished the mission. So if you pay all these guys that showed you who they were already, what do you have, like, what do you have

for them to look at? Like, do you think if they paid all the guys for four years each, do you think they win a Super Bowl professor in the next four years with those guys? No, but see, for Dallas fans, it's been. a little bit different than it's been here, but at the end of the day, you have to be really strong top down. And our organization was the worst from the top down for, you know, a quarter century, which is why we really never had a chance, as long as Dan owned the team, to win or to have sustained success. And I think the same thing you can say about Jerry Jones. He's way too involved. There are too many people, too many cooks in the kids.

kitchen. And the difference is they have won a lot of games in the regular season, and they put themselves into the postseason a lot more often than we have over the years. But, you know, they flame out because it's just not a top-to-bottom, solid organization. And I don't see it, although I don't see a major step back. I could see them winning 10 or 11 games this year and being back in the postseason. Mark my word, Michael Parsons won't have a year he had because Zimmerman is one of them my way or my way. Zimmer, Zimmer, yeah. But he's good.

I think he's a good defensive mind. He's a good defensive mind, but is he a good person-to-person communicator? All right, all, we're going to start there. All right? Second of all, the Dallas Cowboys are what I call a lost animal. All right, can I ask you this, Professor? I take you as a very intelligent, man. Before cities were built, where is the pigeon?

Where's the natural habitat of a pigeon? I have no idea. I have no idea. They have lost animals. Nobody walked in the woods and we're like, what this pigeon doing in the woods? Like, if we need to study it as human beings, what's the true habitat of a pigeon? But it's just like a rat. They're going to be wherever they can eat.

Wherever they can eat gobs. And that's what the cowboys are right now. They have topped, they have shoulders what they are. They ought to be rat in the room, my friend. They just got wings. They're looking for food. They're looking for any kind of food. They're not picky.

That's what I'm telling you. So if the Cowboys fans feel good, saying 12 wins a year, at least we made it to the playoffs. No, no, that ain't good enough. The 49ers don't fear you. The Eagles don't fear you. Like, even though y'all are such a juggernaut. By the time you finish paying this guy 100, this got 200, this guy, I'm sorry. You won't be able to play the middle of your roster.

You will never reach the pinnacle. I am sorry to report that news, but pigeons have no home. But there is plenty of trash around the NFL for them to seek out. Are you one of the people that would do a Brandon Ayuk deal or you wouldn't? No, I wouldn't. Why? No, I wouldn't. Because I have a Brandon Ike already.

His name is Terry McLean. I'm not going in the grocery store for the same groceries. If I'm going to play a different receiver, it's going to be T. Higgins. I need a six-fix. guy here that could catch bad passes. I don't believe in going to the car dealership and saying, give me two escalades. How about you give me a car in a truck?

I like diversity when it comes to my wire receiver room. I don't, it ain't like if we just instant get branded our yoke. He's going to be a guy that's going to propel us to a Super Bowl contender. Now, if I turn that around and say, hey, the doctor's traded us, Tyree Hill. Now we're scary in a whole different way, if you know what I mean. All I'm saying is I'm not going to the dealership for the same car. I already have a Mercedes-Benz. I have no need to go spend money on another.

I don't know. I think you went to the BMW dealership, and it's the difference between maybe an X-5 and an X-3. I think I think Iyuk's bigger and better. But I think Terry's really good. He's an excellent car. But the two of them together would be... I would love to see that.

I just, that's gluttony. That's one of those things where you ask them for stuff. You know, why I don't take my kids to the grocery store. I just bring groceries home. Because if you take it with you. I can only imagine your kids with you in Giant or Safeway or Balducci's. You don't shop at Wegmans or Whole Foods or Balducci's. I love Safeway.

I love Wegman. Now, Wegmans, if Jesus had a grocery store, I mean, had a kitchen, it'll be Wegman. Stand down. Wendham is the best. But I love the rest. I love Harris Teeter. I love them all, but I know better than take my kids there. It's not going to do it.

I'm not going to do it. And Brandon, I don't like noise and receivers. And that's why I love Santana Mawks. I love being his teammate. I love Terry McLaurin. If he did it to him, he'll cheat on YouTube. That's how I'm telling him. He's not happy when five more receivers get paid

and we just played him and he's not happy because he won't 10 more million. Here we go again. No, no, you can have there, San Francisco. You are five. I can fire me a Brandon now. You can next year's draft. Or you could find yourself at Jalen Rager in next year's draft too. You know, not every receiver hits either.

There are a lot of misses on that position, too. Yes, it is, but guess what? It's more receivers walking the street in the United States. Then it is quarterback, and I got the quarterback, so it don't matter who my receivers are. How about that? Right now, if I told you, you could get the best pass rusher in the draft next year or the best wide out in the draft next year.

And let's just say you have a need for both, which is more important? Oh, I would get the best pass rusher. I went off since this year, and I feel like I got the best quarterback. I want the best pass rush. I'm saying blank slate, new team, forget, forget Jaden Daniels and everybody else. It's a blank slate. I'm asking you which position is. more important in today's NFL?

I am taking the past rushing defensive end who change his game. I am taking a guy who makes sure quarterback jerseys are dirty. I'm taking a guy that makes sure that great quarterbacks look regular. I'm taking a guy that wrecks games all the time. I'm taking

a guy that I can depend on in the fourth quarter to go change everything that was supposed to happen, what's used to happen. I'm going to get the past rusher. I can find a while. out. I can find a wide out anywhere. I can find a wide out and wah-wah. I ain't worried about that. As rushes don't come like that. What about sheets? Is there a wide receiver sheet?

I just ran into the McCampson sheets. Yeah, I just ran into McCampson sheets. Yeah, you can find them anywhere. Okay. As far as past rushers go, Miles Garrett, T.J. Watt, or Micah Parsons? Oh, my God. I would say. I would probably end up taking Micah only because he's a little younger than him. Right. And I find him to be a little bit more versatile, all right?

Because I feel like he plays the pass. Just as good as he rushed the passer, plus he's sideline the sideline. He's almost the ultimate chest piece, but T.J. Y. I love. Like, he's not only a pass rush, and he gets interceptions and take them back to the house. He's a game.

in edge Russia. You can't lose with any one of them. But if I'm a defensive coordinator, I want to design a defense, and I'd be like, all right, oh, Miles Garrett, I would love to have Miles Garrett, I would love to have Miles Gary, but TJ can help me in the past game, too, and Michael can too, so I take one of those problems. I think Miles Garrett, though, is the hardest player in the league to block. He is, but the one thing about it is, he's changing the game on one level when I feel like the other two changes on two levels. Yeah, okay. That's fair.

That's fair. All right. In the NFL this year, you and I have already identified Washington is one of those, you know, two to three teams every year each conference that you don't expect to make the postseason and we think they've got a shot to do it. Look, your optimism in recent years has been pretty high. And it's just the way you operate. And I've been a little bit more kind of reserved.

just say, if not super critical of what I thought we were going to see. But I'm optimistic this year. Who else in the league do you think people are sleeping on? Let's start in the NFC. Anybody other than Washington? I want you to take a crisp

hundred dollar bill. I want you to take a little head hundred from like 1985. Lead head. And I want you a little head hundred. Not the big head hundred they got now. The little head hundred. And I want you to go to the MJM, the MGM, and I want you to put that $100

deal on the Atlanta Falcons to not only go to the playoffs but to win the NFC South hands down. You know, I'm a big guy. You know how I feel about Kirk. Me and you go back to... Yeah, you have not liked him

as much as I have. Yes, but guess what? He's in a situation now where he's in a shoulder league who Kyle Pitts is. Drake London is a number one by receiver Bsier-R-R-R-R-R-R-B. They are going to...

Listen to me, I wouldn't be shocked if the Falcons won 12 games. I'm sorry. They have the division to do it. They have the quarterback to do it. They have the defense to do it. Jerry Gray is still down there. I talk to Jerry Gray.

Like at the end of the day, the Atlanta Falcons is a super scary team. Another team nobody's talking about is the Indianapolis coach. All right? I understand it. The quarterback gets hurt after he starts to scare the league for the first couple of weeks. All right? Where he's going to be better. Their roster was already one of the better.

I agree with you. I agree with you. When you talk about offensive line, Jonathan Taylor running their ball, they got wide out. They got defensive linemen. They got linebackers. The Indianapolis coach will win 10-plus games also and be a super scary team.

And I might go on a line and say, you know what? It's something that's pulling me towards the Pittsburgh Steelers, beyond the fact that I played for Tumbling. I think the Steelers, they figure out who's going to be their quarterback, I think they have a chance to be scary. But if I had to pick a Super Bowl winner right now, it's the Baltimore Raven. You know, I think it's going to be a parade in Baltimore in less than eight months. I really do.

You know, I don't think I've talked to you about the fact that you played for Mike Tomlin when he was the Vikings defensive coordinator. Have you, did you have a good relationship with him? Oh, yeah, I love Mike, man. Mike is a teacher and a preacher all at the same time. And that's a good thing about it. He's going to teach him, but he's going to lean on your certain ways. He's very demanding.

And I had him at a good point in my life because I needed a coach like that at that time. So, yeah, I enjoyed Mike and me and the Williams brother, Kevin and Pat. Right. And Antoine Winfield and all of their job. We got him that head coach of Jock. We were the number two defensively. Right. Yeah, you guys were good defensively.

Did your path ever cross with Rahim Morris anywhere? You know what? I never got to play for Coach Rahim. But I met him coming out in the draft process, and he was part of that Tampa crew. And I got to know that Tampa crew so good that I kind of got to know him through, you know, through players and through meeting him and crossing paths with him. Real quickly, just on your Indianapolis thing, the Anthony Richardson thing, like he did play well to start before he got hurt. But he was a running back.

I mean, he was Lamar early on, you know, with Greg Roman in Baltimore, and that's the way they were playing him. And I liked Anthony Richardson's, you know, potential coming out, but he was raw. You know, he didn't play as many games and didn't throw as much as Jaden did. But I think a lot of people look at Richardson and they see a guy that's big and thick, and he got hurt running, and they're concerned about Jaden if he gets played the same way. They're two different runners. I think so, too.

They're two different style runners. Yeah. One is more fluent runner. Both are fast. Don't get it twisted. One is an 18-wheeler that's already got his momentum. The other one is a sports car. I don't perceive them playing this way because, like you said,

Jayden is a more polished passer, you know, from the dough. Like, but people need to understand, he's a passer with the option to run. So when you think of Jane Daniels, think of Randall Cunningham. We knew Randall could run, but we love it. to watch him past the ball. Right. All right. So think of Steve Young.

Steve Young could run, but it was the last resort. I'm going to run because there's nothing there. Well, that's what we have here when they knew. Let's spoon feed Richardson because he's not a polished passion like James Daniels. So we don't get his confidence down. They're not going to spoon feed him this year. They're going to play him as a quarterback. All right.

You got to go. You got to get to Wawa. You've got to find yourself another receiver to put on this team. I always enjoy it. Thanks so much. We'll do it again before the season starts. And next time we have a conversation, I just want you to tell me what's the true environment of a pension. That's all I want to know. Every time you're on, I've got a notepad and a pen to take notes because you are actually

the professor, not me. Great job. Thanks, Fred. Thanks, Professor. Fred Smoot, everybody. I will have a show out on Monday. and then after that, it'll be a wait of a few days until I get back from vacation. All right, that's it. Have a great weekend.