March 25, 2024 • 37 mins
Part Two of the Good Morning Football Podcast begins with Jim Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin speaking at League Meetings. Hosts Sara Walsh, Kyle Brandt, Chris Hogan, and Super Bowl Champion Jason McCourty discuss the futures of the Chargers and Steelers following so many team changes. NFL Prospect Jaylen Wright talks about going to the combine and his journey to the NFL. Vikings LB Blake Cashman talks about returning to his hometown and being a part of the Vikings defense. Plus, thoughts on Robert Saleh's comments at the League Meetings.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Good Morning Football is the production of the NFL in
partnership with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Good Morning Football.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Welcome to Good Morning Football. We are alive in New
York City. It is Monday, March twenty fifth.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
I'm Sarah Walsh.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Alongside Kyle Brant, Jason mccordy, a two time Super Bowl champ,
and Chris Hogan joining us this morning.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
First hour, Good first hours. Great Chris, how to go
for Yes, great.
Speaker 5 (00:40):
To have my show.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Time for the We got to get off this topic
bad book.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh down in Orlando, Florida for
the annual league meeting, and he is speaking to the
media right now.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
Let's take a listen.
Speaker 6 (00:55):
But getting the players into the building, you know, April second,
I just they just can't wait for it because they're
the ones that bring that building to life and give
us all a great lift, you know when that happens.
Speaker 5 (01:08):
So just just really gearing up for that.
Speaker 7 (01:11):
Joe mentioned last week, if you talked to Justin after
the keyan situation, just how.
Speaker 5 (01:16):
To get conversation.
Speaker 7 (01:17):
Obviously they had quite a quite a history.
Speaker 6 (01:20):
I've been talking to Justin everything, you know, every chance
I get any reason I can call Justin, just check
on it, you know, how how things are going on
the on the ranch up in Oregon. You know, I
I love hearing stories about that, talking about you know, Cadence,
you know, putting in the schemes offense and defense. I
know and Shane Shane days had had had multiple conversations.
Justin's been in, He's gotten a few workouts in. I
(01:42):
think that's hitting him really good. So yeah, just that interaction.
You know, I just like hearing how his day's going.
Speaker 7 (01:47):
With Keenan specifically, though, I'm be sure he was disappointed
like you were to lose Kenya, same same conversation that
we're having right now.
Speaker 6 (01:59):
You know, It's like, you know, this is the business
side of of the NFL. The NFL has a business
side to it, and guys do it. They do it's
best for them, you know, they do it best for
your family, but do it's best for yourself professionally and personally.
And everybody understands that. And a heck of a deal
for Mike too. I mean, you know, fifteen million a year.
That's that's good. That's really good.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
I love Harbach God, I love that. So glad he's
in the league. I'm so glad on.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
What he had to say.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
I meant, just keep going these these things, these like
this breakfast. It feels like when you go to Disney
and you go to the character breakfast and you're there
with your family and they're like, oh, here comes Goofy's
like the pictures and here's Pluto. Like it's it has
a feeling of they're all working the tables and I
just can't help myself looking at the journalists in the
background with their giant plates of food trying to ask
(02:50):
about the charge of special teams like it's so entertaining.
And I said it for the minute that hired him
as it was the biggest win for the Chargers and years,
and listen, we're talking off the air, Chris like, as
a wide.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Receiver, it's kind of nuts.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
What's going on with the charge roster, the charges offense?
Speaker 2 (03:05):
What do you think of it?
Speaker 8 (03:06):
Yeah, I mean you look at the roster right now.
I think they have three guys on the roster, two
of them were rookies last year and Joshua Palmer only
going into his fourth year.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
So it's yeah, I.
Speaker 8 (03:16):
Mean you got to imagine they're going to try to
add some weapons for Justin Herbert. I mean, I Harball
is you know, I was with him in back in
twenty eleven when he came into the league with the
forty nine ers, and he did some great things for
Cap and that team, and I got to imagine that
he's going to do some good things with Justin and
that offense. So but I mean, you got to got
to add some more pieces to this puzzle to try
(03:38):
to make that work. So it's a lot of it
gonna be a lot of new faces, but you know,
I gotta imagine he's going to do a good job
out there.
Speaker 9 (03:45):
Take us through this with Harball when he first came in, Like,
what is that first team meeting, Like he just mentioned
April second, getting the guys in the building, different personality.
Speaker 5 (03:54):
What was that like? From a player's perspective, It was.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
A lot for me, right, that was my first year.
So yeah, but a lot a lot of those.
Speaker 8 (04:00):
Guys respond I mean that that's forty nine ers team
was filled with veteran guys. I mean, he's got some
high expectations. He runs it like a very tight shit,
you know, straight from college. Kind of takes that whole
mentality over to the pros, and I think it's either
it either works or it doesn't work. And when he
brought it to the forty nine ers, it worked right.
Guys bought into it. They were into it. You know,
(04:22):
he's going to coach I mean, he's going to coach
him up, you know, and he's and he's going to
do some good things with Justin. So I think Justin's
going to really benefit from having him, you know, coaching him,
you know, on the football side of things. Not that
he hasn't done well in his career, but I mean
I think that having him there, I think it might
take him to another level.
Speaker 9 (04:40):
Now as a wide receiver, because you just said, you
look at this room and they got rid of Mike Williams,
they got rid of Keenan Allen.
Speaker 5 (04:45):
When Brady was in New England.
Speaker 9 (04:47):
A lot of people would always say, all right, they
don't keep and they don't pay the big time receivers,
but they get guys that can get open. Was it
ever for you in that wide receiver room, Like, Hey,
we took pride in the fact that we didn't have
the biggest names or the biggest contracts, but.
Speaker 5 (04:59):
We go out there with a really good quarterback and
get it done.
Speaker 9 (05:02):
You think that mindset could possibly translate to these guys
in that room.
Speaker 8 (05:06):
Every single year you have that meeting, It's like, what's
this receiver room going to be at. We didn't have
the big name guys. You know, we have Rob in
the other room, we have Brady, we had that. You know,
we had the names, we had James White, But our
room was just built off of Listen, we're gonna go
out every single play. It's gonna be one hundred percent.
We're gonna you know, we're gonna block, we're gonna be annoying,
we're gonna be in your face, and we're just gonna
(05:27):
make plays when it comes to us, get open catch
the football. There aren't any of these big names on
this roster right now. They could you add someone in
the draft, But I think that mentality, I mean, I
think Hardball's gonna love that mentality, right.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
I Mean, he's all about that.
Speaker 8 (05:40):
So I think that's gonna be something that he's going
to try to bring to that room. And if he
can create a group of guys in that room that
just want to play together and win football games and compete,
then Justin Herbert is gonna have a good group of guys.
Speaker 5 (05:52):
Yeah, all too. It's gonna be fun to watch.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
He brought up a lot of big names, and I
was just curious your thoughts on is Gus Edwards underrated?
I mean, at thirteen rushing touchdowns a year ago, and
it's so much like Herbert Herbert Herbert every year, right,
I mean obvious that he's the quarterback, right, but there's
so much pressure on him in terms of Harbaugh taking
some pressure off this guy, because every year it feels
like we're like, this is this is.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Herbert's year, right, this is it?
Speaker 3 (06:13):
This is and then it's sort of the same letdown.
Now this is a different scenario, right when you're bringing
in Jim Harbor, you're bringing him after he won a
national championship. But I'm just wondering if I don't feel
like Edwards gets talked about a lot or enough.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
No, he's a really good player.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
And what's interesting is that Jason knows this. My take
from the second Harbaugh took the job is that Blake
korm is going to be on the Chargers who have
a feeling this is the Michigan running back who's prolific,
super strong.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
It's sort of similar running style of the Gus Edwards.
But I don't care.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
If you look what Jim Harbot did all the way
back at Stanford, if you look what he just did
at Michigan, if you look what he was doing with
Gore in San Francisco, like he loves to run it
and we love Herbert there. But I think there will
be a couple of running backs. I think he will
find a way to have Blake Korum on the team.
I think what he's done with the team is like
it's reflective Harbaugh. All the moves like you show up
in like a pillar of the Chargers keening out, just gone,
just gone. All the tight end and the other receiver
(07:01):
just gone. It's different, it's a little scary, and it'll
probably work, which is how I would describe Jim Harbaugh.
It's different, it's those scary, it'll probably work. I think
the schedule is gonna come out, you know, sometime in
the Officers moving forward. The first thing I'm circling every
single game. I'm not interested in any kind of Super
Bowl rematch or anything.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
First Chargers Chiefs game.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
I'm just into, like unbelievable, let's light the candle, ring
the bell, Harbaugh versus Reed Herbert versus Mahomes like this
is the one and I feel like if Harbaugh wins
that game, that's gonna be the table flipping moment about
like the AFC West is not the same anymore, or
if the Chiefs roll them up. I don't know, but
there's not a regular season matchup I'm more excited about
than the first Chargers Chiefs. And I think Blake Koran
(07:40):
from Michigan will be wearing a charges uniformly play that game.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
I like that.
Speaker 9 (07:43):
And I'm fascinated by Harball and Justin Herbert's relationship.
Speaker 5 (07:47):
But he said it. I just like talking to Justin
and ask him how his day's going and building that's
so cool. It's so Jim Harball.
Speaker 9 (07:53):
But what we've seen from Justin Herberts so far is
him throwing the ball all around the field. We know
when Harball comes in there is not possibly going to
be that great Roman offensive coordinator.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
But I looked at it. I remember when.
Speaker 9 (08:04):
Dave Canal's got hired with the Panthers and he came
on our show and we talked to him. He talked
about Bryceark. I know, a completely different player than Justin Herbert,
but just his thought on the quarterback position, and he said,
I want a quarterback that was going to play consistent
playing and play out and have three to five game
plays a game where he is just absolutely special. And
if I'm Jim Harble, he's probably going to act the
(08:24):
same thing of Justin Herbert. We maybe don't need you
to make these crazy throws all over the field. And
I see the memes out all over social media of
Herbert standing in a room like will Smith was on
Fresh Prince and the room's completely empty as Eckler's gone,
Alla's gone, Mike Williams is gone.
Speaker 5 (08:39):
But I think he's looking at it like I don't
need those guys to run my offense.
Speaker 9 (08:43):
When he was with the forty nine ers, he had
one maybe go to receiver and a guy like Crabtree,
and the rest of it was guys that fill in
the blinks and you throw the ball to him and
run the ball behind Frank Gore and that offense.
Speaker 5 (08:54):
He mentioned Shane Day, the quarterbacks coach who was with
Herbert back.
Speaker 9 (08:57):
In twenty one when he threw for the five thousand
yards and went to the Pro Bowl and all of that.
He was with the Houston Texans last year with Shroud
having a great Rooki year, He's back with the charges
of Herbert said, that's one of his all time favorite coaches.
So I think when you talk about the transition and
Greg Rohman coming in and people are scared because it's like,
well he had Lamar Jackson, Colin Kaepernick, Justin Herbert is
not that guy. To your point, Harball is going to
(09:20):
figure this thing out, figure this offense when it comes
to the draft and all of that. But I'm still
fascinating to see what this offense looks like because Herbert
has broken record after record that's not really the way
Harball does it, and we saw the receivers leave. I
can't wait to see you're talking about the Chiefs game.
I just can't wait to see this offense operate and
see what it's going to look like.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
You think people are asking that Mike Tomlin if he's
calling Russell Wilson like they just asked Harball and.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
Just saying, hey, how's your day going.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
We can find we can find out if they just
put the plate to Waibos fran Schero's down.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
Ask the man this question.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Mike Tomlin is speaking to the media right now at
the breakfast.
Speaker 10 (09:54):
Yeah. In the days following our acquisitional Russell Canny expressive
desire for a change of scenery. As I mentioned, we
have been in pretty fluid communication with after we got
a sense of what direction that was going. Then the
dominoes started to fall and we did the transactions necessary
to kind of send Kenny to Philly in and acquire Justin.
(10:15):
We're excited about the guys that we have in Russell
and Justin. Man, it just really can't wait to get started.
Speaker 11 (10:22):
Ms of Justin what you've seen on film that kind
of gave you the confidence that he he still has
more to give than he finished in Chicago.
Speaker 10 (10:28):
Oh my gosh, man, it's you know, he uses calling
and potential. He's warned the responsibility of being a franchise quarterback,
but still he gets an opportunity to come into a
community like situation and learn from a guy that's been
doing it for over a decade. Man, there's a lot
of meat left on that bone.
Speaker 12 (10:44):
Man.
Speaker 10 (10:44):
I'm just excited about working to be a part of
extracting it our ability.
Speaker 12 (10:48):
You have a situation where you like to have Justin
kind of sit learn this whole year or is he
is he in that competition?
Speaker 10 (10:55):
No, we're We're not resistant to competition. But as I've
mentioned several times of late, I just think it's appropriate
to establish positioning as we get into this thing. And
the term that I've used is Russell has pole position.
And why do I use that term because during this
time where we are not formally working, man, I just
(11:15):
think it's beneficial his experience International Football League, his process
that's been honed and perfected. Talking about over a twelve
month calendar is not only good for him, it's good
for teams. It's good for receivers, tight ends, running backs, etc.
All the things that people that are really committed to
winning do this time of year. Russell has those resources,
(11:37):
man that structure, and so that's why I say he
has pole position.
Speaker 12 (11:41):
Man.
Speaker 10 (11:41):
It just creates a synergy that I think is good
for this time of year when it's time to compete.
We get in training camp like settings and going to
preseason stadiums and so forth. Obviously Justin will be given
an opportunity to show his capabilities.
Speaker 11 (11:54):
When you were back and watching the film with Justin
last year, did you feel like the Bears put him
in the best position to succeed.
Speaker 10 (11:58):
I'm not judging anything that was done in Chicago. That's
not my business. I just look at the pedigree of
the talent, the things that are not relative to coaching
with that talent.
Speaker 9 (12:08):
Meshing with with what Arthur Smith would like to do.
Speaker 4 (12:11):
Is you have one reason too, why these two quarterbacks
are the fit.
Speaker 10 (12:14):
Absolutely, you know, their skill set fits into the vision
of what we're trying to get done, and so I'm
excited from that perspective.
Speaker 13 (12:20):
Certainly, like we talked about this being a brotherhood, a
bond for life. When you have a former player in crisis,
seemingly in crisis like Kim Sutton, is there anything you
do to to reach out his former coach?
Speaker 10 (12:32):
I certainly have, but I'll just leave that between us.
Speaker 13 (12:34):
Why got he says, the kickoff proposal where it stands out?
Speaker 2 (12:38):
What do you think that I'll accomplish what you want?
And it's chances of of being passed.
Speaker 10 (12:41):
You know, as a member of the committee for several years, Man,
we have talked about the kickoff play and for obvious reasons. Man,
it's essential to our efforts to make the game safer. Obviously,
this is you know, an unusual discussion in terms of
the radical change. But man, the Special Teams Coaches and
the Special Teams Coaches Committee have put a lot of
work into the proposal. Man, I'm so appreciative of the
(13:03):
work that they put in trying to meet the demands
of the game as we try to advance the game
and move the game forward. But where that's going to
land and what's going to transpire today, I have no idea. Man,
It's a big day. We got a lot of discussions
ahead of us.
Speaker 11 (13:14):
Mike, you mentioned there's a lot of meat on the phone.
You feel like with Justin, what what can you and
Arthur and Russell do to help him reach his potential
that maybe couldn't be done.
Speaker 10 (13:22):
Him yet in a professional setting. So we'll handle all
of those things in a very natural way. We're excited
about having it all right.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Job, Mike, just I was talking, I kept looking at
Jason like he puts Tomlin puts on a clinic on
how to just handle those questions because you know people
could be easily picking it on while trying to create
a controversiality with and like he just shuts it down
is definitive. The best things out of there, Oozes talent
and potential. When he was talking about Justin Field, still
(13:51):
said there's a lot of meat left on that bone,
which I looked at you and I said, he's still
so young. It almost sounds like you're talking about Justin
Fields like he's been around forever and then and then
also Russell Wilson pole position, and that's benefit to the
team to have this guy in the offseason in pole
position as your starter right now in Pittsburgh. What did
you think of what Mike Tomlin had to say.
Speaker 9 (14:11):
I thought that part was interesting, he said, the synergy
of the offseason having him there because the twelve month calendar,
him being a VET. I looked at it as he
has these two quarterbacks, you have won that as a
season VET. You put him, you let him go first,
but every opportunity is going to be given, possibly to
Justin Fields to take that spot if he outplays Russell Wilson.
But the bigger picture, you look at Pittsburgh's quarterback room
(14:32):
last year, and he mentioned Kenny Pickett wanted the change
of scenery to what they're walking into this year with
Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, I feel.
Speaker 5 (14:39):
Like they're light years ahead of where they were.
Speaker 9 (14:41):
Last year in their quarterback room with your bisky and
makes Rudolph, Yes, Rudolph play well, get them in the playoffs.
But I look at this is going to be a
fun arrangement of these two guys similar playing styles. Who
heard Justin Fields say he kind of looked at his
game as Russell Wilson as he got into the NFL.
So I truly believe though Justin Fields is going to
become the start of that team.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
What a room that is there. Let me tell you
what I mean, never mind the field you're sitting there.
You have Mike Tomlin, super Bowl winning coach who's who's
just basically made a huge investment in Russell. It's not
a huge financially, but this is the next chapter.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Of his career.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
Yeah, two tables over, you got Sean Payton, super Bowl
winning coach who just is paying to not coach.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Russell Wilson anymore.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Who was asked like, was it tough when that cap
hit to get rid of Rusks? No, like not at all,
Like he could not want to coach him any less.
And this is a made guy, another made guy, not
some fly by night or new guy. Says I want
this guy and it's like, don't you want the two
of them to get together and be like, what's your deal? No,
what's your Why do you not want to coach him?
Why do you want to coach him? That's what's going
(15:41):
on in the same room. It's unbelievable. And in the meantime,
a lot of questions about a backup quarterback to Mike Tomlin,
it's it's almost you want to be like, coach, what.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Week do you expect justin fields to take over a starter?
Is it five?
Speaker 1 (15:52):
I have it at four point five? Over under all day,
it's a lot. It's a lot of talk about a
backup quarterback. And this is Mike Tomlin's world.
Speaker 5 (15:58):
Now.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
The Steelers are just like the model of solidity and consistency.
It's it's this quarterback, it's this formula.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
And how it's like all up in the air and.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
There's there's quarterback controversies and there's a little bit of
chaos almost it's unstealer like.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
So I think this is not the usual owners meeting
for Mike Tomlin.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Like I don't want to call him out too much,
but there's definitely some.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
Perspiration going on.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
I don't know if it's a little bit more difficult
for him to just say, you know, bend this and
ben that at the same time. Like it's just it's
it seems like a different type of formula for the
Steelers right now, Chris.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
They're usually the ones who know exactly what they're doing.
Now there's confusion.
Speaker 8 (16:31):
I love it though, right, I mean, you have a
guy like Justin Fields who hasn't really had that opportunity
to learn from a veteran quarterback like Russ. I mean
you said it right, He watched Russ as he was
coming into the league. He's modeled some of his game
after some of this stuff. So is it Russell Wilson's
team in the beginning of the season. Probably, But is
Justin Field's going to benefit from being in the same
(16:52):
room with Russell and learning from him. I think so.
And do we think that Justin Fields is going to
come in at some point in the season, Yeah, I
absolutely think that. I mean, the potential of this kid,
I don't think we've really seen it right, and I
think that he's going to have the ability to kind
of grow a little bit in Pittsburgh and become the
quarterback that we've all expected him interesting, What if.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
Justin Field is lights out in the preseason? Does it matter?
Speaker 3 (17:16):
What if throughout training camp and then you know, I know,
we pick apart every little pass in these preseason games
that don't technically count.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
What if Justin Fields is lights out?
Speaker 3 (17:25):
There's this sentiment that maybe in the back of someone's
head that this guy gives us the best chance. Is
this is a scenario that you can't like, there's no
scenario that Russell Wilson can't be the starter week one.
Speaker 6 (17:35):
No.
Speaker 9 (17:35):
I think for them, you brought two guys in and
you mentioned the finances where there is no paid guy
that's coming in.
Speaker 5 (17:41):
It's like, you're our guy.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Both of these guys.
Speaker 9 (17:43):
Are coming in new to the team, So I think
they're going to start out with Russ as the guy.
You would assume as a veteran, he's going to be
able to pick up Arthur Smith's office and possibly be
able to operate and manage it in a better way
as a veteran, So you would assume that he goes
out there and who knows, maybe Rush shows up in
a preseason and we're like, oh my goodness, this is
the Russ that we saw in Seattle and maybe he's
(18:04):
just unbelievable. It's so hard to tell you guys, remember
call we talked about the last year. In the preseason
Pittsburgh was unbelievable. Pickett was out there, George Pickett's that
they were putting the points in it and it was
like this team's going to be the real deal. And
they barely could score any points once the season started.
But I don't I don't think I think if Fields
is unbelievable in the preseason, I don't think that Tomlin
and the Steels would be afraid to say, you know what,
we're rolling in the fields, like, look, you guys.
Speaker 5 (18:26):
Are looking at it. We're looking at it. He's outperformed him.
Speaker 9 (18:28):
But I think it's going to take that He's going
to have to be unbelievable in the preseason to do that.
Speaker 4 (18:32):
Right just enough. It then created a weird situation with.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
You know what I mean, because again we don't know
what we're getting out of us.
Speaker 8 (18:38):
I mean, I think it's also how does the rest
of the team respond, right?
Speaker 2 (18:42):
How is justin in the huddle with.
Speaker 8 (18:44):
All of these guys and the guys that he's going
to be on the field, are they responding more to us,
are they responding more to Justin?
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Right?
Speaker 8 (18:49):
So, I think the leadership that both of them are
going to have to come in and kind of give
to the rest of the team crazy, you know, like
that's going to be a competition within itself. Both of
these guys are going to come in, They're both going
to be wanting that starting job.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
So true they handle dealing with the.
Speaker 8 (19:06):
Rest of the team and just that almost off the
field type of stuff, right, So that could create more
of this controversy. And like you said, I mean, if
Justin goes out and plays lights out, I mean, it's
just a it's a conversation that the Steelers are going
to have to have.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
There's not a lot of there's not a lot of
true quarterback battles in the preseason. There's not you know,
you usually know who your starter is hands down, and
so for training camp purposes and for our purposes, right,
it's one of those juicy storylines that, Oh God, also
to watch that Field.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Is a head taller, he's significantly faster, he's way younger.
There's some your curial personalities in that Steelers offense. Like
I don't know what the what the Gael factor is
Russ versus Fields, who's way closer to their age, like
it maybe something like, I know Russ's got skins on
the wall and everything that Fields doesn't. Fields has a
lot to prove he's way younger. Like that could be
something in the preseason.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
All right, don't have time to watch twelve Pro Days
because you probably were planning on it.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
Well, that's okay, because we've got you covered.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
It is the first ever Big twelve Pro Day special
on Thursday. It is the quarterbacks, It's the wide receivers,
it's the tight ends, Friday Spots spotlights, the running.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
Backs, and the dvs.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
It is the Big twelve Pro Day, presented by Air
Force Reserve, both nights at eight eastern, exclusively on NFL
Network and streaming on NFL Plus.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
Still to come on GMFB.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
We got former Tennessee running back Jalen Wright joined us
later to talk about the upcoming draft.
Speaker 14 (20:26):
All the playmakers come through Good Morning Football's golf Spring
Good Morning Football.
Speaker 9 (20:43):
Our next guest, spent the past three seasons in the
back through at the University of Tennessee. He was one
of the biggest rises at this year's NFL Combine. Guys,
please give a warm Welcome to former balls running back
jailing right. You are good and you have an impressive
performance in NDA this year's combine, where you ran the
(21:06):
second fastest forty out of your position group amongst the
running back. Tell us what the combine was like and
what this whole process has been like for you as
scouts continue to see you and you're showing up more
and more on their boards.
Speaker 12 (21:17):
The combine, it was just a grind man, you know,
just sharing all the you know, all the best athletes
and you know in this draft I said, you know,
being there with them, you know, just just grinding, you know,
just just doing the things that I knew what I
was going to do before the combine, just being confident
in my ability. So it was all good.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Yeah, every single guy who goes through this is it's
not a pleasure trip. It's a lot of work. Use
the word grind a few times, and we know you
have that in you. There are former NFL gms out
there saying you may be one of the most underrated
prospects in this year's draft class despite the way you
shine at the combine. Do you feel like you have
something to prove and how does that word hit you underrated.
Speaker 12 (21:56):
Yeah, I mean always, you know, walking around with a
chip on my shoulder. I feel like I've been underrated
mostly all my life. So you know, right now, you
know this is nothing new. It's just that's what makes me,
you know, go harder, you know.
Speaker 15 (22:06):
Just keep you know, improving, improving my point game.
Speaker 12 (22:09):
I'm the top running back and you know it's there's
no limits of what I can do.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
So what do you got, Chris?
Speaker 8 (22:16):
Hey, First of all, keep that chip on your shod. Yeah,
don't let that chip, I believe. But much like myself,
you are a two sport athlete most of your life,
so obviously and being a track star is speed? Do
you think the number one part of your game, the
strongest part of your game?
Speaker 12 (22:33):
Yeah, I mean I feel like speed goes a long way.
You know, when you got speed, you it's something that
you can't really tease. So you know, just me being
you know, being able to run track and you know,
just having them long runs and house the endurance, you know,
things like long runs. You know, so that's why I
feel like that really helped me a lot. You know,
speed is everything, and not only speed, you know, I
got the balance, you know, just just everything you know
(22:53):
with the great running back.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
So yeah, we're watching some of your track footage right
now as you're blowing by people there. You spend the
last three seasons playing alongside quarterback Joe Milton. We've been
talking a lot about quarterbacks this morning. Who's going to
get drafted, where he's also looking to get drafted next month.
We want to know about his arm strength, describe his
deep ball.
Speaker 12 (23:14):
Oh yeah, everybody loves jumping through that thing. So you
know what I mean, I.
Speaker 15 (23:18):
Think is like amazing.
Speaker 12 (23:19):
You know now only days you know, like Joe got
to touch touch, you know, to get the ball there.
You know, just it's him showing his arm up. You know,
that's just that's just a guy get you know, talent.
So you know that's just that's gonna go a long
way for him. I'm very exciting to see where you're
gonna go and no good.
Speaker 9 (23:35):
Yeah, I can't imagine what it's like to have a
quarterback where he just says, you know what, just run
is fast and as far as you can and let.
Speaker 5 (23:41):
Me just loft that thing.
Speaker 9 (23:42):
This is the time of the year where draft analysts
we all like to put our player comparisons. I've seen
you compared to Alvin Kamara. But for you, as you
look at your game and you look at NFL players
and different running backs that you watch, whether it's growing
up or right now in the NFL, who would you
say that you would compare your game to growing up?
Speaker 12 (24:00):
You know, I've always been a huge Agency Peterson fan,
you know, just the way you know, he just runs
so aggressive. You know, he's very explosive. You know, he's
a back that can do everything. Not only that, I
love Christ McCaffrey, you know, just I like the model
my game at the backs and you know Mexican that
can do everything, you know, very elusive, somebody who can
catch out the backfield, somebody who's explosive, you know, break tackles,
(24:23):
you know, do everything like that. So those are you know,
like just the banks. I really compare myself to it
and look up and look up after.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
So it's good comparison. Man, the offensive player of the
Year McCaffrey. But before we let.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
You go, those Tennessee Volves just advanced to the Sweet sixteen.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
They're going to take on Creighton later this week.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
What's your prediction for Tennessee Creighton and does the slipper
fIF Can they go all the way?
Speaker 12 (24:47):
Oh yeah, for sure. You know, you know, of course,
you know, I got I got Tennessee going all the
way about the way his game. You know, they were
doing a hell of a job out there to day.
You know, I mean out there, you know, just whole
you know, marsh Mans, marsh Maders, this whole tournament. So
I'm just decided, you know, see where they're gonna be at.
I got faith and they're.
Speaker 16 (25:05):
Going to be on the way.
Speaker 5 (25:06):
So I'm Good's.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
Awesome, love it.
Speaker 5 (25:09):
Appreciate you coming through this morning. I know it's early.
Speaker 9 (25:11):
We appreciated good luck with the drafting in Are you
going to be wearing number zero in the NFL as well?
Speaker 12 (25:17):
I love the way zero you know, if that numbers open,
I love to go get my number. So let's do it.
Speaker 5 (25:23):
We go many Good luck man, We'll be watching.
Speaker 4 (25:25):
That, We'll be routing for you. Thanks Jalen, thank you.
Welcome back to Good Morning Football.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Our next guest was looking to get paid this offseason,
and last month he cashed in on a three year deal.
He is part of a new look Vikings defense. Please
welcome back to the show. Vikings linebacker Blake Cash, thank
you for having me.
Speaker 4 (25:47):
Like you're a Minnesota native.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
You went to Eden Prairie High School, then played college
football at the University of Minnesota. By the way, Jamie Eardle,
I feel owns the Minnesota space, so I'm not doing
her justice right now. How much did your Minnesota roots
factor in deciding to join the Viking?
Speaker 4 (26:04):
Where did that stack up?
Speaker 16 (26:05):
It carried a lot of weight, simply because not a
lot of guys that have the opportunity to play in
the NFL also get the opportunity to play for.
Speaker 15 (26:14):
Their home team. And you know, I grew up there.
I also played in the Big Ten MINSI go.
Speaker 16 (26:20):
For his college ball there, and I really enjoyed having
all my loved ones, my family, my friends, people that
support me have supported me throughout my entire journey being
at games in college. So to have them, you know,
at the Vikings US Bank Stadium, you know, I'm thrilled
and I can't wait to share this experience with them.
Speaker 9 (26:39):
Yeah, I can only imagine you have that big and
swamped by all the family of friends back home congratulating
you on coming back to Minnesota. And you said it
as your introductory Vikings presser that you've had the same
phone number since you were sixteen years old. I need
to know, is there a story of somebody reaching out
to you? Did you get any of those what's up
big Head text measures? What has it been like since
(27:01):
the news is Head that you're returning home to Minnesota?
Speaker 15 (27:04):
I probably had close to a thousand messages.
Speaker 16 (27:08):
You know, some people I'm still close with today, some
people I haven't heard from in years. But you know,
there was college coaches like D three and D two,
college recruiter coaches that I probably only had one conversation
with in high school that were reaching out to me.
I had a guy I played baseball with who I
haven't seen probably since I was fourteen or fifteen. You know,
(27:31):
he reached out a lot of you know, great things
to say, just you know, happy for me and been
following my story.
Speaker 15 (27:36):
But you know it's a little overwhelming, But you.
Speaker 16 (27:39):
Know that's what makes this, you know, I think a
little bit extra exciting is all these people that you know,
I've had a relationship with or still a relationship with,
Like they're all happy for me, excited for me, and
they almost feel a.
Speaker 15 (27:51):
Part of this journey as well. So it's cool to
share the moment with everybody.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
We don't know, we don't know what off the top
of our head the area code. Shout out the area
code all the people. What's what's the area code?
Speaker 15 (28:02):
Six ' one two Minnie, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
The six one two.
Speaker 5 (28:07):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
There's some other guys getting some new six one two
is among them. One of our favorite guys, Andrew van
Ginkel is joining the Vikings defense. And then a guy
who's probably had one for a long time, Harrison Smith.
You know, if you do the math, Blake, you were
probably watching Harrison Smith on the Vikings when you were
in high school and now your teammates with him and
it's part of the same defense.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
How cool is that for you?
Speaker 1 (28:27):
And what's the potential for this Vikings defense this year?
Speaker 16 (28:30):
I think there's a lot of pieces we've added to
the defense and you've got a lot of potential to
be one of the best defense in the league. With
what kind of scheme Brian Floor's run. You know, there's
you know way you are, You're not really true identy
like it's just it's so exotic and you know, everyone
knows who obvious to bring pressure. So I'm very excited
to be a part of that, and like you said,
(28:50):
to work with Harry or Hitman like they call him
in Minnesota. You know, he's a Minnesota legend, one of
the greats. And the way I see it is that,
you know, that's that's kind of his team, that's his defense,
and I can't wait to learn from him and hear
what he has to say. I mean, I already spoke
with Brian Flores, and you know, he was telling me
all the different glitches and things that he actually installs
(29:13):
with the coaches, which I think is that's extremely special
and rare. And so to be able to play with
a guy that's, you know, a safety but has the
ability to command a defense. You know, I'm excited because
you know, it's only going to help me and help
our team.
Speaker 8 (29:28):
The NFL considering be a small world man. We played
on the Jets team together back in twenty twenty. We
also played with Sam Darnold, who is going to be
a teammate of yours. How do you see him fitting
in that quarterback room with Mullins and Hall.
Speaker 16 (29:41):
I think Sam has the ability of a breakout year
this year. You know, you look at the offensive minds
that are in the in the organization. You know, you
got a great head coach, Kevin McConnell. They added Josh McCown.
So Sam always been a guy.
Speaker 15 (29:56):
In my opinion, that's had the talent.
Speaker 16 (29:58):
He has tools set to be a great quarterback, and
I think his best days are ahead of him.
Speaker 15 (30:04):
And to be in a right scheme with.
Speaker 16 (30:06):
The right weapons. You got justin Jefferson, kJ Osbourne, the Hawk,
an offensive line that can protect him. You know, we
just added Aaron Jones Showtime, Like, I think this guy's
women and I think everyone needs to stay tuned for
the Sam Darnold breakout year.
Speaker 9 (30:22):
All right, all right, whip it all awesome, Blake, thanks
so much for joining us.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
You know what my.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Takeaway was from this and was this, I think your
fault that you've had the same phone number since you
were sixteen years old. So everyone from the six one
too that knew, Blake went, I mean you can just
you can just hit him up.
Speaker 4 (30:39):
That thing hasn't changed.
Speaker 9 (30:40):
Asking for some money, I do a great giant than Yeah,
appreciate it.
Speaker 8 (30:59):
Good morning.
Speaker 4 (31:01):
We've got a couple hours this morning without talking about that. Jason.
You know, Robert Salad the breakfast gets.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
Surrounded distractions are eliminated by winning, which is accurate.
Speaker 4 (31:11):
I would say, yeah, thoughts on the.
Speaker 5 (31:13):
Jets very accurate.
Speaker 9 (31:16):
The Jets have had Aaron Rodgers never came out and
said he was running for VP of.
Speaker 5 (31:20):
But they had that.
Speaker 9 (31:21):
There's just so much it always seems like going on there.
But to Solid's point, I was a part of an
organization in New England. I was coming off losing every
single game in Cleveland, and then you get to New England.
We won a Super Bowl that year. You better believe
there were distractions that went on that year. There were
things that went on in the building where you're like,
I don't really like that, or whatever.
Speaker 5 (31:39):
The case is.
Speaker 9 (31:39):
But when you win games on Sunday, it's so much
easier to forget about them. With the Jets last year,
we did a parade for them in the offseason, and
all they did was make the necessary moves. It was
us in the media that continued to build them up.
Then they had hard knocks and everything just seemed like
it was on the right track and going a certain way,
and then you lose your quarterback four plays into the season.
So it seems like since Rogers has decided to go.
(32:01):
There's has been distraction after distraction apter distraction and him
saying that you understand it. But at the end of
the day and enjoy the offseason when it starts. For them,
it's gonna come down to can they figure out a
way to win games? And when they got another receiver
to help Aaron Rodgers, We'll see what they end up doing.
Speaker 5 (32:18):
In the draft. They redid their.
Speaker 9 (32:19):
Offensive line, so some of the distractions and some of
the headlines for them are all positives of.
Speaker 5 (32:24):
Moving in the right direction.
Speaker 9 (32:26):
I think when Rodgers in your quarterback, it's gonna be
hard to avoid distractions.
Speaker 5 (32:29):
It just is what it is.
Speaker 9 (32:31):
He's a guy that has a ton going on outside
the field, and he's one of the best players I
ever put a helmet all.
Speaker 5 (32:35):
So there's always going to be media.
Speaker 9 (32:37):
And headlines that surround him. But for this New York
Jets team, hey, let it be a quiet offseason.
Speaker 5 (32:43):
Let that all go last year would have happened.
Speaker 9 (32:45):
Let it be quiet, Let it be a slow build,
and once the season starts, find ways to win games.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
I feel like maybe the best thing that could happen
to the Jets is that the Giants draft the quarterback
you know what I'm saying, and just like take some
of the attention and just take it away.
Speaker 9 (32:57):
We said that about the Giants last year, the Jets
was the best thing for them.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
That's true, it's true.
Speaker 1 (33:01):
But I also think, like you can't allow yourself to
believe that the Jets like blew it last year or
it didn't work.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
It wasn't like they get a D or an F
or a C.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
They get an E. They get it incomplete. It was
the strangest like do over of a season. And then
we know we've talked about a thousand times four snaps
and the entire plan was gone or they didn't have
a backup plan. So it's like bring everybody back, everybody,
like all hands on deck again and just run it back.
And also they have the ten pick in the draft,
so what are they doing there? I think Salah, like
(33:32):
I know that he is like a body of temple.
He's in really good shape and he he must have
aged fifteen years last year, Like.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
He looks great. I love your coach, but it's got
to be the hardest year of his life.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Chris, you're in the region, you understand it, Like what's
just been your take and the Jets.
Speaker 8 (33:46):
It's this year. It's every year. Right, It's like, Yo,
we're gonna win. We're gonna win, We're gonna add this.
We have the headline, we bring in Rogers, We're going
to the super Bowl. Like, stop talking about it, Like
you said, let it be a quiet offseason for all
of these guys on this team that are going into
training camp, going into the offseason. Stop focusing on like,
just go out and just do your work and just
(34:07):
see what see what happens. You You're setting yourself up
for not to be successful. It's like, we're going to
get to the playoffs. It's every single year. This is
the year for the Jets. This is the year, right,
We're going to the playoffs. And then you don't get there, right,
stop talking about it and just go win football games.
Speaker 5 (34:23):
Right.
Speaker 8 (34:23):
If Aaron Rodgers is healthy, great, Right. If he's not,
who cares, right, that's that's not You can't control some
of that stuff. What you can control is just going
to work, you know, not talking about going to the
playoffs and winning super Bowls Like you're not there. You
haven't been there in a long time. So just focus
on winning games.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
I don't think you can go to work in this
area and it not be like you can say that
you want it to be as quiet as you know,
there's no hard knocks, there's no we're not going to
give them any hell, you don't have to give him
headlines not and I mean there's just no giants or jets.
Speaker 4 (34:54):
There's no getting skating underneath the radar.
Speaker 3 (34:57):
And we can say that the pressures on the Giants,
pressure on, it's not going to matter because they can
have the quietest offseason.
Speaker 4 (35:03):
They can say not another word.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
We cannot hear things the day that training camp starts,
the day that like this season, you know, turns the
page and we're onto this next season and Aaron Rodgers
shows up to camp, it is.
Speaker 4 (35:13):
Going to be headline headline. I mean, there's just but
that's newr.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
I mean, there's no there's no changing that, even with
the best of intentions of we're not going to give
them anything, and you know they're going to give them
stuff because that's just that's the way it works. So
the best intentions are no distraction, but that's just I
don't think that's feasible.
Speaker 4 (35:28):
In this area.
Speaker 1 (35:29):
I don't know if you guys, there's a there's an
election for president this year, it's that might be something.
So there's some high profile candidates are there, and there's
some times it's slot. Yeah, you know what would be great? Though,
they hit that election and the Jets are eight and
three and they're actually matter.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
I hope they went.
Speaker 4 (35:43):
I'm working okay.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
Before we signed off here, apparently you had big plans
last night right out what.
Speaker 9 (35:49):
I had a good weekend. I dropped the kids off
Friday with my in laws. I didn't pick them up
till hot though Saturday it was raining cats and dogs
here made and the wife stayed in bed all day.
Speaker 5 (36:00):
I won a hell of a weekend. But last night.
Speaker 9 (36:03):
Last night was at the Barclay Center for the n
C Double A tournament. Took the entire family. We got
a chance to watch the games. Duke and Yukon blew
out both teams, so it was fun. The kids were
cheering all of that. But I ran into an A
list celebrity at the game. He was nice enough to
invite me up to his suite in between games.
Speaker 5 (36:22):
Because I was just sitting in a regular section.
Speaker 9 (36:24):
I finally found New York's very old Peter Schrager alongside
Mel Schrager right there in the suite at the Barclays.
That's me and my three kids, Leanna, Kayten and Kai.
We got a chance to kick it hang out for
a little bit. So it was always good to see
my guy. Schreger was on vacation this week, but we
were able to connect. You know, he runs Brooklyn, so
(36:45):
he was just saying hi to everybody, welcomed me into
the suite and all that.
Speaker 5 (36:48):
And then after we hung out for a little while,
I went back down to my seats with the regular people.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
Peter as the hookup.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
I have some questions and thought about the angle of
Peter's hat, like.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
We Mackamore, I think, the hell is that?
Speaker 5 (37:00):
Why Maclimore?
Speaker 2 (37:02):
Why not another rapper? Why not a cole or Drake?
Speaker 5 (37:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (37:06):
You know what you Vanilla Ice? What are you doing?
What are you?
Speaker 1 (37:09):
Eminem's only guys I know, Mal Schrager looks fantastic.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
That's a gentleman, the entire mccordy family. Peter, I miss you, Bud.
Speaker 9 (37:17):
Yeah, we missed our gosh we have. We had a
good time, good games last night.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
So okay, we got n FFC coaches breakfast tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
Right, let's go.
Speaker 5 (37:25):
You'll be bad. You'll be bad.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
Don't get in between the reporter and their biscuits and gravy.
Speaker 8 (37:30):
Get out of their wing at against breakfast.
Speaker 5 (37:33):
That's right,
Good Morning Football is the production of the NFL in
partnership with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Good Morning Football.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Welcome to Good Morning Football. We are alive in New
York City. It is Monday, March twenty fifth.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
I'm Sarah Walsh.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Alongside Kyle Brant, Jason mccordy, a two time Super Bowl champ,
and Chris Hogan joining us this morning.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
First hour, Good first hours. Great Chris, how to go
for Yes, great.
Speaker 5 (00:40):
To have my show.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Time for the We got to get off this topic
bad book.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh down in Orlando, Florida for
the annual league meeting, and he is speaking to the
media right now.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
Let's take a listen.
Speaker 6 (00:55):
But getting the players into the building, you know, April second,
I just they just can't wait for it because they're
the ones that bring that building to life and give
us all a great lift, you know when that happens.
Speaker 5 (01:08):
So just just really gearing up for that.
Speaker 7 (01:11):
Joe mentioned last week, if you talked to Justin after
the keyan situation, just how.
Speaker 5 (01:16):
To get conversation.
Speaker 7 (01:17):
Obviously they had quite a quite a history.
Speaker 6 (01:20):
I've been talking to Justin everything, you know, every chance
I get any reason I can call Justin, just check
on it, you know, how how things are going on
the on the ranch up in Oregon. You know, I
I love hearing stories about that, talking about you know, Cadence,
you know, putting in the schemes offense and defense. I
know and Shane Shane days had had had multiple conversations.
Justin's been in, He's gotten a few workouts in. I
(01:42):
think that's hitting him really good. So yeah, just that interaction.
You know, I just like hearing how his day's going.
Speaker 7 (01:47):
With Keenan specifically, though, I'm be sure he was disappointed
like you were to lose Kenya, same same conversation that
we're having right now.
Speaker 6 (01:59):
You know, It's like, you know, this is the business
side of of the NFL. The NFL has a business
side to it, and guys do it. They do it's
best for them, you know, they do it best for
your family, but do it's best for yourself professionally and personally.
And everybody understands that. And a heck of a deal
for Mike too. I mean, you know, fifteen million a year.
That's that's good. That's really good.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
I love Harbach God, I love that. So glad he's
in the league. I'm so glad on.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
What he had to say.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
I meant, just keep going these these things, these like
this breakfast. It feels like when you go to Disney
and you go to the character breakfast and you're there
with your family and they're like, oh, here comes Goofy's
like the pictures and here's Pluto. Like it's it has
a feeling of they're all working the tables and I
just can't help myself looking at the journalists in the
background with their giant plates of food trying to ask
(02:50):
about the charge of special teams like it's so entertaining.
And I said it for the minute that hired him
as it was the biggest win for the Chargers and years,
and listen, we're talking off the air, Chris like, as
a wide.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Receiver, it's kind of nuts.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
What's going on with the charge roster, the charges offense?
Speaker 2 (03:05):
What do you think of it?
Speaker 8 (03:06):
Yeah, I mean you look at the roster right now.
I think they have three guys on the roster, two
of them were rookies last year and Joshua Palmer only
going into his fourth year.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
So it's yeah, I.
Speaker 8 (03:16):
Mean you got to imagine they're going to try to
add some weapons for Justin Herbert. I mean, I Harball
is you know, I was with him in back in
twenty eleven when he came into the league with the
forty nine ers, and he did some great things for
Cap and that team, and I got to imagine that
he's going to do some good things with Justin and
that offense. So but I mean, you got to got
to add some more pieces to this puzzle to try
(03:38):
to make that work. So it's a lot of it
gonna be a lot of new faces, but you know,
I gotta imagine he's going to do a good job
out there.
Speaker 9 (03:45):
Take us through this with Harball when he first came in, Like,
what is that first team meeting, Like he just mentioned
April second, getting the guys in the building, different personality.
Speaker 5 (03:54):
What was that like? From a player's perspective, It was.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
A lot for me, right, that was my first year.
So yeah, but a lot a lot of those.
Speaker 8 (04:00):
Guys respond I mean that that's forty nine ers team
was filled with veteran guys. I mean, he's got some
high expectations. He runs it like a very tight shit,
you know, straight from college. Kind of takes that whole
mentality over to the pros, and I think it's either
it either works or it doesn't work. And when he
brought it to the forty nine ers, it worked right.
Guys bought into it. They were into it. You know,
(04:22):
he's going to coach I mean, he's going to coach
him up, you know, and he's and he's going to
do some good things with Justin. So I think Justin's
going to really benefit from having him, you know, coaching him,
you know, on the football side of things. Not that
he hasn't done well in his career, but I mean
I think that having him there, I think it might
take him to another level.
Speaker 9 (04:40):
Now as a wide receiver, because you just said, you
look at this room and they got rid of Mike Williams,
they got rid of Keenan Allen.
Speaker 5 (04:45):
When Brady was in New England.
Speaker 9 (04:47):
A lot of people would always say, all right, they
don't keep and they don't pay the big time receivers,
but they get guys that can get open. Was it
ever for you in that wide receiver room, Like, Hey,
we took pride in the fact that we didn't have
the biggest names or the biggest contracts, but.
Speaker 5 (04:59):
We go out there with a really good quarterback and
get it done.
Speaker 9 (05:02):
You think that mindset could possibly translate to these guys
in that room.
Speaker 8 (05:06):
Every single year you have that meeting, It's like, what's
this receiver room going to be at. We didn't have
the big name guys. You know, we have Rob in
the other room, we have Brady, we had that. You know,
we had the names, we had James White, But our
room was just built off of Listen, we're gonna go
out every single play. It's gonna be one hundred percent.
We're gonna you know, we're gonna block, we're gonna be annoying,
we're gonna be in your face, and we're just gonna
(05:27):
make plays when it comes to us, get open catch
the football. There aren't any of these big names on
this roster right now. They could you add someone in
the draft, But I think that mentality, I mean, I
think Hardball's gonna love that mentality, right.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
I Mean, he's all about that.
Speaker 8 (05:40):
So I think that's gonna be something that he's going
to try to bring to that room. And if he
can create a group of guys in that room that
just want to play together and win football games and compete,
then Justin Herbert is gonna have a good group of guys.
Speaker 5 (05:52):
Yeah, all too. It's gonna be fun to watch.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
He brought up a lot of big names, and I
was just curious your thoughts on is Gus Edwards underrated?
I mean, at thirteen rushing touchdowns a year ago, and
it's so much like Herbert Herbert Herbert every year, right,
I mean obvious that he's the quarterback, right, but there's
so much pressure on him in terms of Harbaugh taking
some pressure off this guy, because every year it feels
like we're like, this is this is.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Herbert's year, right, this is it?
Speaker 3 (06:13):
This is and then it's sort of the same letdown.
Now this is a different scenario, right when you're bringing
in Jim Harbor, you're bringing him after he won a
national championship. But I'm just wondering if I don't feel
like Edwards gets talked about a lot or enough.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
No, he's a really good player.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
And what's interesting is that Jason knows this. My take
from the second Harbaugh took the job is that Blake
korm is going to be on the Chargers who have
a feeling this is the Michigan running back who's prolific,
super strong.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
It's sort of similar running style of the Gus Edwards.
But I don't care.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
If you look what Jim Harbot did all the way
back at Stanford, if you look what he just did
at Michigan, if you look what he was doing with
Gore in San Francisco, like he loves to run it
and we love Herbert there. But I think there will
be a couple of running backs. I think he will
find a way to have Blake Korum on the team.
I think what he's done with the team is like
it's reflective Harbaugh. All the moves like you show up
in like a pillar of the Chargers keening out, just gone,
just gone. All the tight end and the other receiver
(07:01):
just gone. It's different, it's a little scary, and it'll
probably work, which is how I would describe Jim Harbaugh.
It's different, it's those scary, it'll probably work. I think
the schedule is gonna come out, you know, sometime in
the Officers moving forward. The first thing I'm circling every
single game. I'm not interested in any kind of Super
Bowl rematch or anything.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
First Chargers Chiefs game.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
I'm just into, like unbelievable, let's light the candle, ring
the bell, Harbaugh versus Reed Herbert versus Mahomes like this
is the one and I feel like if Harbaugh wins
that game, that's gonna be the table flipping moment about
like the AFC West is not the same anymore, or
if the Chiefs roll them up. I don't know, but
there's not a regular season matchup I'm more excited about
than the first Chargers Chiefs. And I think Blake Koran
(07:40):
from Michigan will be wearing a charges uniformly play that game.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
I like that.
Speaker 9 (07:43):
And I'm fascinated by Harball and Justin Herbert's relationship.
Speaker 5 (07:47):
But he said it. I just like talking to Justin
and ask him how his day's going and building that's
so cool. It's so Jim Harball.
Speaker 9 (07:53):
But what we've seen from Justin Herberts so far is
him throwing the ball all around the field. We know
when Harball comes in there is not possibly going to
be that great Roman offensive coordinator.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
But I looked at it. I remember when.
Speaker 9 (08:04):
Dave Canal's got hired with the Panthers and he came
on our show and we talked to him. He talked
about Bryceark. I know, a completely different player than Justin Herbert,
but just his thought on the quarterback position, and he said,
I want a quarterback that was going to play consistent
playing and play out and have three to five game
plays a game where he is just absolutely special. And
if I'm Jim Harble, he's probably going to act the
(08:24):
same thing of Justin Herbert. We maybe don't need you
to make these crazy throws all over the field. And
I see the memes out all over social media of
Herbert standing in a room like will Smith was on
Fresh Prince and the room's completely empty as Eckler's gone,
Alla's gone, Mike Williams is gone.
Speaker 5 (08:39):
But I think he's looking at it like I don't
need those guys to run my offense.
Speaker 9 (08:43):
When he was with the forty nine ers, he had
one maybe go to receiver and a guy like Crabtree,
and the rest of it was guys that fill in
the blinks and you throw the ball to him and
run the ball behind Frank Gore and that offense.
Speaker 5 (08:54):
He mentioned Shane Day, the quarterbacks coach who was with
Herbert back.
Speaker 9 (08:57):
In twenty one when he threw for the five thousand
yards and went to the Pro Bowl and all of that.
He was with the Houston Texans last year with Shroud
having a great Rooki year, He's back with the charges
of Herbert said, that's one of his all time favorite coaches.
So I think when you talk about the transition and
Greg Rohman coming in and people are scared because it's like,
well he had Lamar Jackson, Colin Kaepernick, Justin Herbert is
not that guy. To your point, Harball is going to
(09:20):
figure this thing out, figure this offense when it comes
to the draft and all of that. But I'm still
fascinating to see what this offense looks like because Herbert
has broken record after record that's not really the way
Harball does it, and we saw the receivers leave. I
can't wait to see you're talking about the Chiefs game.
I just can't wait to see this offense operate and
see what it's going to look like.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
You think people are asking that Mike Tomlin if he's
calling Russell Wilson like they just asked Harball and.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
Just saying, hey, how's your day going.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
We can find we can find out if they just
put the plate to Waibos fran Schero's down.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
Ask the man this question.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Mike Tomlin is speaking to the media right now at
the breakfast.
Speaker 10 (09:54):
Yeah. In the days following our acquisitional Russell Canny expressive
desire for a change of scenery. As I mentioned, we
have been in pretty fluid communication with after we got
a sense of what direction that was going. Then the
dominoes started to fall and we did the transactions necessary
to kind of send Kenny to Philly in and acquire Justin.
(10:15):
We're excited about the guys that we have in Russell
and Justin. Man, it just really can't wait to get started.
Speaker 11 (10:22):
Ms of Justin what you've seen on film that kind
of gave you the confidence that he he still has
more to give than he finished in Chicago.
Speaker 10 (10:28):
Oh my gosh, man, it's you know, he uses calling
and potential. He's warned the responsibility of being a franchise quarterback,
but still he gets an opportunity to come into a
community like situation and learn from a guy that's been
doing it for over a decade. Man, there's a lot
of meat left on that bone.
Speaker 12 (10:44):
Man.
Speaker 10 (10:44):
I'm just excited about working to be a part of
extracting it our ability.
Speaker 12 (10:48):
You have a situation where you like to have Justin
kind of sit learn this whole year or is he
is he in that competition?
Speaker 10 (10:55):
No, we're We're not resistant to competition. But as I've
mentioned several times of late, I just think it's appropriate
to establish positioning as we get into this thing. And
the term that I've used is Russell has pole position.
And why do I use that term because during this
time where we are not formally working, man, I just
(11:15):
think it's beneficial his experience International Football League, his process
that's been honed and perfected. Talking about over a twelve
month calendar is not only good for him, it's good
for teams. It's good for receivers, tight ends, running backs, etc.
All the things that people that are really committed to
winning do this time of year. Russell has those resources,
(11:37):
man that structure, and so that's why I say he
has pole position.
Speaker 12 (11:41):
Man.
Speaker 10 (11:41):
It just creates a synergy that I think is good
for this time of year when it's time to compete.
We get in training camp like settings and going to
preseason stadiums and so forth. Obviously Justin will be given
an opportunity to show his capabilities.
Speaker 11 (11:54):
When you were back and watching the film with Justin
last year, did you feel like the Bears put him
in the best position to succeed.
Speaker 10 (11:58):
I'm not judging anything that was done in Chicago. That's
not my business. I just look at the pedigree of
the talent, the things that are not relative to coaching
with that talent.
Speaker 9 (12:08):
Meshing with with what Arthur Smith would like to do.
Speaker 4 (12:11):
Is you have one reason too, why these two quarterbacks
are the fit.
Speaker 10 (12:14):
Absolutely, you know, their skill set fits into the vision
of what we're trying to get done, and so I'm
excited from that perspective.
Speaker 13 (12:20):
Certainly, like we talked about this being a brotherhood, a
bond for life. When you have a former player in crisis,
seemingly in crisis like Kim Sutton, is there anything you
do to to reach out his former coach?
Speaker 10 (12:32):
I certainly have, but I'll just leave that between us.
Speaker 13 (12:34):
Why got he says, the kickoff proposal where it stands out?
Speaker 2 (12:38):
What do you think that I'll accomplish what you want?
And it's chances of of being passed.
Speaker 10 (12:41):
You know, as a member of the committee for several years, Man,
we have talked about the kickoff play and for obvious reasons. Man,
it's essential to our efforts to make the game safer. Obviously,
this is you know, an unusual discussion in terms of
the radical change. But man, the Special Teams Coaches and
the Special Teams Coaches Committee have put a lot of
work into the proposal. Man, I'm so appreciative of the
(13:03):
work that they put in trying to meet the demands
of the game as we try to advance the game
and move the game forward. But where that's going to
land and what's going to transpire today, I have no idea. Man,
It's a big day. We got a lot of discussions
ahead of us.
Speaker 11 (13:14):
Mike, you mentioned there's a lot of meat on the phone.
You feel like with Justin, what what can you and
Arthur and Russell do to help him reach his potential
that maybe couldn't be done.
Speaker 10 (13:22):
Him yet in a professional setting. So we'll handle all
of those things in a very natural way. We're excited
about having it all right.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Job, Mike, just I was talking, I kept looking at
Jason like he puts Tomlin puts on a clinic on
how to just handle those questions because you know people
could be easily picking it on while trying to create
a controversiality with and like he just shuts it down
is definitive. The best things out of there, Oozes talent
and potential. When he was talking about Justin Field, still
(13:51):
said there's a lot of meat left on that bone,
which I looked at you and I said, he's still
so young. It almost sounds like you're talking about Justin
Fields like he's been around forever and then and then
also Russell Wilson pole position, and that's benefit to the
team to have this guy in the offseason in pole
position as your starter right now in Pittsburgh. What did
you think of what Mike Tomlin had to say.
Speaker 9 (14:11):
I thought that part was interesting, he said, the synergy
of the offseason having him there because the twelve month calendar,
him being a VET. I looked at it as he
has these two quarterbacks, you have won that as a
season VET. You put him, you let him go first,
but every opportunity is going to be given, possibly to
Justin Fields to take that spot if he outplays Russell Wilson.
But the bigger picture, you look at Pittsburgh's quarterback room
(14:32):
last year, and he mentioned Kenny Pickett wanted the change
of scenery to what they're walking into this year with
Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, I feel.
Speaker 5 (14:39):
Like they're light years ahead of where they were.
Speaker 9 (14:41):
Last year in their quarterback room with your bisky and
makes Rudolph, Yes, Rudolph play well, get them in the playoffs.
But I look at this is going to be a
fun arrangement of these two guys similar playing styles. Who
heard Justin Fields say he kind of looked at his
game as Russell Wilson as he got into the NFL.
So I truly believe though Justin Fields is going to
become the start of that team.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
What a room that is there. Let me tell you
what I mean, never mind the field you're sitting there.
You have Mike Tomlin, super Bowl winning coach who's who's
just basically made a huge investment in Russell. It's not
a huge financially, but this is the next chapter.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Of his career.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
Yeah, two tables over, you got Sean Payton, super Bowl
winning coach who just is paying to not coach.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Russell Wilson anymore.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Who was asked like, was it tough when that cap
hit to get rid of Rusks? No, like not at all,
Like he could not want to coach him any less.
And this is a made guy, another made guy, not
some fly by night or new guy. Says I want
this guy and it's like, don't you want the two
of them to get together and be like, what's your deal? No,
what's your Why do you not want to coach him?
Why do you want to coach him? That's what's going
(15:41):
on in the same room. It's unbelievable. And in the meantime,
a lot of questions about a backup quarterback to Mike Tomlin,
it's it's almost you want to be like, coach, what.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Week do you expect justin fields to take over a starter?
Is it five?
Speaker 1 (15:52):
I have it at four point five? Over under all day,
it's a lot. It's a lot of talk about a
backup quarterback. And this is Mike Tomlin's world.
Speaker 5 (15:58):
Now.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
The Steelers are just like the model of solidity and consistency.
It's it's this quarterback, it's this formula.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
And how it's like all up in the air and.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
There's there's quarterback controversies and there's a little bit of
chaos almost it's unstealer like.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
So I think this is not the usual owners meeting
for Mike Tomlin.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Like I don't want to call him out too much,
but there's definitely some.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
Perspiration going on.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
I don't know if it's a little bit more difficult
for him to just say, you know, bend this and
ben that at the same time. Like it's just it's
it seems like a different type of formula for the
Steelers right now, Chris.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
They're usually the ones who know exactly what they're doing.
Now there's confusion.
Speaker 8 (16:31):
I love it though, right, I mean, you have a
guy like Justin Fields who hasn't really had that opportunity
to learn from a veteran quarterback like Russ. I mean
you said it right, He watched Russ as he was
coming into the league. He's modeled some of his game
after some of this stuff. So is it Russell Wilson's
team in the beginning of the season. Probably, But is
Justin Field's going to benefit from being in the same
(16:52):
room with Russell and learning from him. I think so.
And do we think that Justin Fields is going to
come in at some point in the season, Yeah, I
absolutely think that. I mean, the potential of this kid,
I don't think we've really seen it right, and I
think that he's going to have the ability to kind
of grow a little bit in Pittsburgh and become the
quarterback that we've all expected him interesting, What if.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
Justin Field is lights out in the preseason? Does it matter?
Speaker 3 (17:16):
What if throughout training camp and then you know, I know,
we pick apart every little pass in these preseason games
that don't technically count.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
What if Justin Fields is lights out?
Speaker 3 (17:25):
There's this sentiment that maybe in the back of someone's
head that this guy gives us the best chance. Is
this is a scenario that you can't like, there's no
scenario that Russell Wilson can't be the starter week one.
Speaker 6 (17:35):
No.
Speaker 9 (17:35):
I think for them, you brought two guys in and
you mentioned the finances where there is no paid guy
that's coming in.
Speaker 5 (17:41):
It's like, you're our guy.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Both of these guys.
Speaker 9 (17:43):
Are coming in new to the team, So I think
they're going to start out with Russ as the guy.
You would assume as a veteran, he's going to be
able to pick up Arthur Smith's office and possibly be
able to operate and manage it in a better way
as a veteran, So you would assume that he goes
out there and who knows, maybe Rush shows up in
a preseason and we're like, oh my goodness, this is
the Russ that we saw in Seattle and maybe he's
(18:04):
just unbelievable. It's so hard to tell you guys, remember
call we talked about the last year. In the preseason
Pittsburgh was unbelievable. Pickett was out there, George Pickett's that
they were putting the points in it and it was
like this team's going to be the real deal. And
they barely could score any points once the season started.
But I don't I don't think I think if Fields
is unbelievable in the preseason, I don't think that Tomlin
and the Steels would be afraid to say, you know what,
we're rolling in the fields, like, look, you guys.
Speaker 5 (18:26):
Are looking at it. We're looking at it. He's outperformed him.
Speaker 9 (18:28):
But I think it's going to take that He's going
to have to be unbelievable in the preseason to do that.
Speaker 4 (18:32):
Right just enough. It then created a weird situation with.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
You know what I mean, because again we don't know
what we're getting out of us.
Speaker 8 (18:38):
I mean, I think it's also how does the rest
of the team respond, right?
Speaker 2 (18:42):
How is justin in the huddle with.
Speaker 8 (18:44):
All of these guys and the guys that he's going
to be on the field, are they responding more to us,
are they responding more to Justin?
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Right?
Speaker 8 (18:49):
So, I think the leadership that both of them are
going to have to come in and kind of give
to the rest of the team crazy, you know, like
that's going to be a competition within itself. Both of
these guys are going to come in, They're both going
to be wanting that starting job.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
So true they handle dealing with the.
Speaker 8 (19:06):
Rest of the team and just that almost off the
field type of stuff, right, So that could create more
of this controversy. And like you said, I mean, if
Justin goes out and plays lights out, I mean, it's
just a it's a conversation that the Steelers are going
to have to have.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
There's not a lot of there's not a lot of
true quarterback battles in the preseason. There's not you know,
you usually know who your starter is hands down, and
so for training camp purposes and for our purposes, right,
it's one of those juicy storylines that, Oh God, also
to watch that Field.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Is a head taller, he's significantly faster, he's way younger.
There's some your curial personalities in that Steelers offense. Like
I don't know what the what the Gael factor is
Russ versus Fields, who's way closer to their age, like
it maybe something like, I know Russ's got skins on
the wall and everything that Fields doesn't. Fields has a
lot to prove he's way younger. Like that could be
something in the preseason.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
All right, don't have time to watch twelve Pro Days
because you probably were planning on it.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
Well, that's okay, because we've got you covered.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
It is the first ever Big twelve Pro Day special
on Thursday. It is the quarterbacks, It's the wide receivers,
it's the tight ends, Friday Spots spotlights, the running.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
Backs, and the dvs.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
It is the Big twelve Pro Day, presented by Air
Force Reserve, both nights at eight eastern, exclusively on NFL
Network and streaming on NFL Plus.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
Still to come on GMFB.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
We got former Tennessee running back Jalen Wright joined us
later to talk about the upcoming draft.
Speaker 14 (20:26):
All the playmakers come through Good Morning Football's golf Spring
Good Morning Football.
Speaker 9 (20:43):
Our next guest, spent the past three seasons in the
back through at the University of Tennessee. He was one
of the biggest rises at this year's NFL Combine. Guys,
please give a warm Welcome to former balls running back
jailing right. You are good and you have an impressive
performance in NDA this year's combine, where you ran the
(21:06):
second fastest forty out of your position group amongst the
running back. Tell us what the combine was like and
what this whole process has been like for you as
scouts continue to see you and you're showing up more
and more on their boards.
Speaker 12 (21:17):
The combine, it was just a grind man, you know,
just sharing all the you know, all the best athletes
and you know in this draft I said, you know,
being there with them, you know, just just grinding, you know,
just just doing the things that I knew what I
was going to do before the combine, just being confident
in my ability. So it was all good.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Yeah, every single guy who goes through this is it's
not a pleasure trip. It's a lot of work. Use
the word grind a few times, and we know you
have that in you. There are former NFL gms out
there saying you may be one of the most underrated
prospects in this year's draft class despite the way you
shine at the combine. Do you feel like you have
something to prove and how does that word hit you underrated.
Speaker 12 (21:56):
Yeah, I mean always, you know, walking around with a
chip on my shoulder. I feel like I've been underrated
mostly all my life. So you know, right now, you
know this is nothing new. It's just that's what makes me,
you know, go harder, you know.
Speaker 15 (22:06):
Just keep you know, improving, improving my point game.
Speaker 12 (22:09):
I'm the top running back and you know it's there's
no limits of what I can do.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
So what do you got, Chris?
Speaker 8 (22:16):
Hey, First of all, keep that chip on your shod. Yeah,
don't let that chip, I believe. But much like myself,
you are a two sport athlete most of your life,
so obviously and being a track star is speed? Do
you think the number one part of your game, the
strongest part of your game?
Speaker 12 (22:33):
Yeah, I mean I feel like speed goes a long way.
You know, when you got speed, you it's something that
you can't really tease. So you know, just me being
you know, being able to run track and you know,
just having them long runs and house the endurance, you know,
things like long runs. You know, so that's why I
feel like that really helped me a lot. You know,
speed is everything, and not only speed, you know, I
got the balance, you know, just just everything you know
(22:53):
with the great running back.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
So yeah, we're watching some of your track footage right
now as you're blowing by people there. You spend the
last three seasons playing alongside quarterback Joe Milton. We've been
talking a lot about quarterbacks this morning. Who's going to
get drafted, where he's also looking to get drafted next month.
We want to know about his arm strength, describe his
deep ball.
Speaker 12 (23:14):
Oh yeah, everybody loves jumping through that thing. So you
know what I mean, I.
Speaker 15 (23:18):
Think is like amazing.
Speaker 12 (23:19):
You know now only days you know, like Joe got
to touch touch, you know, to get the ball there.
You know, just it's him showing his arm up. You know,
that's just that's just a guy get you know, talent.
So you know that's just that's gonna go a long
way for him. I'm very exciting to see where you're
gonna go and no good.
Speaker 9 (23:35):
Yeah, I can't imagine what it's like to have a
quarterback where he just says, you know what, just run
is fast and as far as you can and let.
Speaker 5 (23:41):
Me just loft that thing.
Speaker 9 (23:42):
This is the time of the year where draft analysts
we all like to put our player comparisons. I've seen
you compared to Alvin Kamara. But for you, as you
look at your game and you look at NFL players
and different running backs that you watch, whether it's growing
up or right now in the NFL, who would you
say that you would compare your game to growing up?
Speaker 12 (24:00):
You know, I've always been a huge Agency Peterson fan,
you know, just the way you know, he just runs
so aggressive. You know, he's very explosive. You know, he's
a back that can do everything. Not only that, I
love Christ McCaffrey, you know, just I like the model
my game at the backs and you know Mexican that
can do everything, you know, very elusive, somebody who can
catch out the backfield, somebody who's explosive, you know, break tackles,
(24:23):
you know, do everything like that. So those are you know,
like just the banks. I really compare myself to it
and look up and look up after.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
So it's good comparison. Man, the offensive player of the
Year McCaffrey. But before we let.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
You go, those Tennessee Volves just advanced to the Sweet sixteen.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
They're going to take on Creighton later this week.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
What's your prediction for Tennessee Creighton and does the slipper
fIF Can they go all the way?
Speaker 12 (24:47):
Oh yeah, for sure. You know, you know, of course,
you know, I got I got Tennessee going all the
way about the way his game. You know, they were
doing a hell of a job out there to day.
You know, I mean out there, you know, just whole
you know, marsh Mans, marsh Maders, this whole tournament. So
I'm just decided, you know, see where they're gonna be at.
I got faith and they're.
Speaker 16 (25:05):
Going to be on the way.
Speaker 5 (25:06):
So I'm Good's.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
Awesome, love it.
Speaker 5 (25:09):
Appreciate you coming through this morning. I know it's early.
Speaker 9 (25:11):
We appreciated good luck with the drafting in Are you
going to be wearing number zero in the NFL as well?
Speaker 12 (25:17):
I love the way zero you know, if that numbers open,
I love to go get my number. So let's do it.
Speaker 5 (25:23):
We go many Good luck man, We'll be watching.
Speaker 4 (25:25):
That, We'll be routing for you. Thanks Jalen, thank you.
Welcome back to Good Morning Football.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Our next guest was looking to get paid this offseason,
and last month he cashed in on a three year deal.
He is part of a new look Vikings defense. Please
welcome back to the show. Vikings linebacker Blake Cash, thank
you for having me.
Speaker 4 (25:47):
Like you're a Minnesota native.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
You went to Eden Prairie High School, then played college
football at the University of Minnesota. By the way, Jamie Eardle,
I feel owns the Minnesota space, so I'm not doing
her justice right now. How much did your Minnesota roots
factor in deciding to join the Viking?
Speaker 4 (26:04):
Where did that stack up?
Speaker 16 (26:05):
It carried a lot of weight, simply because not a
lot of guys that have the opportunity to play in
the NFL also get the opportunity to play for.
Speaker 15 (26:14):
Their home team. And you know, I grew up there.
I also played in the Big Ten MINSI go.
Speaker 16 (26:20):
For his college ball there, and I really enjoyed having
all my loved ones, my family, my friends, people that
support me have supported me throughout my entire journey being
at games in college. So to have them, you know,
at the Vikings US Bank Stadium, you know, I'm thrilled
and I can't wait to share this experience with them.
Speaker 9 (26:39):
Yeah, I can only imagine you have that big and
swamped by all the family of friends back home congratulating
you on coming back to Minnesota. And you said it
as your introductory Vikings presser that you've had the same
phone number since you were sixteen years old. I need
to know, is there a story of somebody reaching out
to you? Did you get any of those what's up
big Head text measures? What has it been like since
(27:01):
the news is Head that you're returning home to Minnesota?
Speaker 15 (27:04):
I probably had close to a thousand messages.
Speaker 16 (27:08):
You know, some people I'm still close with today, some
people I haven't heard from in years. But you know,
there was college coaches like D three and D two,
college recruiter coaches that I probably only had one conversation
with in high school that were reaching out to me.
I had a guy I played baseball with who I
haven't seen probably since I was fourteen or fifteen. You know,
(27:31):
he reached out a lot of you know, great things
to say, just you know, happy for me and been
following my story.
Speaker 15 (27:36):
But you know it's a little overwhelming, But you.
Speaker 16 (27:39):
Know that's what makes this, you know, I think a
little bit extra exciting is all these people that you know,
I've had a relationship with or still a relationship with,
Like they're all happy for me, excited for me, and
they almost feel a.
Speaker 15 (27:51):
Part of this journey as well. So it's cool to
share the moment with everybody.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
We don't know, we don't know what off the top
of our head the area code. Shout out the area
code all the people. What's what's the area code?
Speaker 15 (28:02):
Six ' one two Minnie, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
The six one two.
Speaker 5 (28:07):
Listen.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
There's some other guys getting some new six one two
is among them. One of our favorite guys, Andrew van
Ginkel is joining the Vikings defense. And then a guy
who's probably had one for a long time, Harrison Smith.
You know, if you do the math, Blake, you were
probably watching Harrison Smith on the Vikings when you were
in high school and now your teammates with him and
it's part of the same defense.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
How cool is that for you?
Speaker 1 (28:27):
And what's the potential for this Vikings defense this year?
Speaker 16 (28:30):
I think there's a lot of pieces we've added to
the defense and you've got a lot of potential to
be one of the best defense in the league. With
what kind of scheme Brian Floor's run. You know, there's
you know way you are, You're not really true identy
like it's just it's so exotic and you know, everyone
knows who obvious to bring pressure. So I'm very excited
to be a part of that, and like you said,
(28:50):
to work with Harry or Hitman like they call him
in Minnesota. You know, he's a Minnesota legend, one of
the greats. And the way I see it is that,
you know, that's that's kind of his team, that's his defense,
and I can't wait to learn from him and hear
what he has to say. I mean, I already spoke
with Brian Flores, and you know, he was telling me
all the different glitches and things that he actually installs
(29:13):
with the coaches, which I think is that's extremely special
and rare. And so to be able to play with
a guy that's, you know, a safety but has the
ability to command a defense. You know, I'm excited because
you know, it's only going to help me and help
our team.
Speaker 8 (29:28):
The NFL considering be a small world man. We played
on the Jets team together back in twenty twenty. We
also played with Sam Darnold, who is going to be
a teammate of yours. How do you see him fitting
in that quarterback room with Mullins and Hall.
Speaker 16 (29:41):
I think Sam has the ability of a breakout year
this year. You know, you look at the offensive minds
that are in the in the organization. You know, you
got a great head coach, Kevin McConnell. They added Josh McCown.
So Sam always been a guy.
Speaker 15 (29:56):
In my opinion, that's had the talent.
Speaker 16 (29:58):
He has tools set to be a great quarterback, and
I think his best days are ahead of him.
Speaker 15 (30:04):
And to be in a right scheme with.
Speaker 16 (30:06):
The right weapons. You got justin Jefferson, kJ Osbourne, the Hawk,
an offensive line that can protect him. You know, we
just added Aaron Jones Showtime, Like, I think this guy's
women and I think everyone needs to stay tuned for
the Sam Darnold breakout year.
Speaker 9 (30:22):
All right, all right, whip it all awesome, Blake, thanks
so much for joining us.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
You know what my.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Takeaway was from this and was this, I think your
fault that you've had the same phone number since you
were sixteen years old. So everyone from the six one
too that knew, Blake went, I mean you can just
you can just hit him up.
Speaker 4 (30:39):
That thing hasn't changed.
Speaker 9 (30:40):
Asking for some money, I do a great giant than Yeah,
appreciate it.
Speaker 8 (30:59):
Good morning.
Speaker 4 (31:01):
We've got a couple hours this morning without talking about that. Jason.
You know, Robert Salad the breakfast gets.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
Surrounded distractions are eliminated by winning, which is accurate.
Speaker 4 (31:11):
I would say, yeah, thoughts on the.
Speaker 5 (31:13):
Jets very accurate.
Speaker 9 (31:16):
The Jets have had Aaron Rodgers never came out and
said he was running for VP of.
Speaker 5 (31:20):
But they had that.
Speaker 9 (31:21):
There's just so much it always seems like going on there.
But to Solid's point, I was a part of an
organization in New England. I was coming off losing every
single game in Cleveland, and then you get to New England.
We won a Super Bowl that year. You better believe
there were distractions that went on that year. There were
things that went on in the building where you're like,
I don't really like that, or whatever.
Speaker 5 (31:39):
The case is.
Speaker 9 (31:39):
But when you win games on Sunday, it's so much
easier to forget about them. With the Jets last year,
we did a parade for them in the offseason, and
all they did was make the necessary moves. It was
us in the media that continued to build them up.
Then they had hard knocks and everything just seemed like
it was on the right track and going a certain way,
and then you lose your quarterback four plays into the season.
So it seems like since Rogers has decided to go.
(32:01):
There's has been distraction after distraction apter distraction and him
saying that you understand it. But at the end of
the day and enjoy the offseason when it starts. For them,
it's gonna come down to can they figure out a
way to win games? And when they got another receiver
to help Aaron Rodgers, We'll see what they end up doing.
Speaker 5 (32:18):
In the draft. They redid their.
Speaker 9 (32:19):
Offensive line, so some of the distractions and some of
the headlines for them are all positives of.
Speaker 5 (32:24):
Moving in the right direction.
Speaker 9 (32:26):
I think when Rodgers in your quarterback, it's gonna be
hard to avoid distractions.
Speaker 5 (32:29):
It just is what it is.
Speaker 9 (32:31):
He's a guy that has a ton going on outside
the field, and he's one of the best players I
ever put a helmet all.
Speaker 5 (32:35):
So there's always going to be media.
Speaker 9 (32:37):
And headlines that surround him. But for this New York
Jets team, hey, let it be a quiet offseason.
Speaker 5 (32:43):
Let that all go last year would have happened.
Speaker 9 (32:45):
Let it be quiet, Let it be a slow build,
and once the season starts, find ways to win games.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
I feel like maybe the best thing that could happen
to the Jets is that the Giants draft the quarterback
you know what I'm saying, and just like take some
of the attention and just take it away.
Speaker 9 (32:57):
We said that about the Giants last year, the Jets
was the best thing for them.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
That's true, it's true.
Speaker 1 (33:01):
But I also think, like you can't allow yourself to
believe that the Jets like blew it last year or
it didn't work.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
It wasn't like they get a D or an F
or a C.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
They get an E. They get it incomplete. It was
the strangest like do over of a season. And then
we know we've talked about a thousand times four snaps
and the entire plan was gone or they didn't have
a backup plan. So it's like bring everybody back, everybody,
like all hands on deck again and just run it back.
And also they have the ten pick in the draft,
so what are they doing there? I think Salah, like
(33:32):
I know that he is like a body of temple.
He's in really good shape and he he must have
aged fifteen years last year, Like.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
He looks great. I love your coach, but it's got
to be the hardest year of his life.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Chris, you're in the region, you understand it, Like what's
just been your take and the Jets.
Speaker 8 (33:46):
It's this year. It's every year. Right, It's like, Yo,
we're gonna win. We're gonna win, We're gonna add this.
We have the headline, we bring in Rogers, We're going
to the super Bowl. Like, stop talking about it, Like
you said, let it be a quiet offseason for all
of these guys on this team that are going into
training camp, going into the offseason. Stop focusing on like,
just go out and just do your work and just
(34:07):
see what see what happens. You You're setting yourself up
for not to be successful. It's like, we're going to
get to the playoffs. It's every single year. This is
the year for the Jets. This is the year, right,
We're going to the playoffs. And then you don't get there, right,
stop talking about it and just go win football games.
Speaker 5 (34:23):
Right.
Speaker 8 (34:23):
If Aaron Rodgers is healthy, great, Right. If he's not,
who cares, right, that's that's not You can't control some
of that stuff. What you can control is just going
to work, you know, not talking about going to the
playoffs and winning super Bowls Like you're not there. You
haven't been there in a long time. So just focus
on winning games.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
I don't think you can go to work in this
area and it not be like you can say that
you want it to be as quiet as you know,
there's no hard knocks, there's no we're not going to
give them any hell, you don't have to give him
headlines not and I mean there's just no giants or jets.
Speaker 4 (34:54):
There's no getting skating underneath the radar.
Speaker 3 (34:57):
And we can say that the pressures on the Giants,
pressure on, it's not going to matter because they can
have the quietest offseason.
Speaker 4 (35:03):
They can say not another word.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
We cannot hear things the day that training camp starts,
the day that like this season, you know, turns the
page and we're onto this next season and Aaron Rodgers
shows up to camp, it is.
Speaker 4 (35:13):
Going to be headline headline. I mean, there's just but
that's newr.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
I mean, there's no there's no changing that, even with
the best of intentions of we're not going to give
them anything, and you know they're going to give them
stuff because that's just that's the way it works. So
the best intentions are no distraction, but that's just I
don't think that's feasible.
Speaker 4 (35:28):
In this area.
Speaker 1 (35:29):
I don't know if you guys, there's a there's an
election for president this year, it's that might be something.
So there's some high profile candidates are there, and there's
some times it's slot. Yeah, you know what would be great? Though,
they hit that election and the Jets are eight and
three and they're actually matter.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
I hope they went.
Speaker 4 (35:43):
I'm working okay.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
Before we signed off here, apparently you had big plans
last night right out what.
Speaker 9 (35:49):
I had a good weekend. I dropped the kids off
Friday with my in laws. I didn't pick them up
till hot though Saturday it was raining cats and dogs
here made and the wife stayed in bed all day.
Speaker 5 (36:00):
I won a hell of a weekend. But last night.
Speaker 9 (36:03):
Last night was at the Barclay Center for the n
C Double A tournament. Took the entire family. We got
a chance to watch the games. Duke and Yukon blew
out both teams, so it was fun. The kids were
cheering all of that. But I ran into an A
list celebrity at the game. He was nice enough to
invite me up to his suite in between games.
Speaker 5 (36:22):
Because I was just sitting in a regular section.
Speaker 9 (36:24):
I finally found New York's very old Peter Schrager alongside
Mel Schrager right there in the suite at the Barclays.
That's me and my three kids, Leanna, Kayten and Kai.
We got a chance to kick it hang out for
a little bit. So it was always good to see
my guy. Schreger was on vacation this week, but we
were able to connect. You know, he runs Brooklyn, so
(36:45):
he was just saying hi to everybody, welcomed me into
the suite and all that.
Speaker 5 (36:48):
And then after we hung out for a little while,
I went back down to my seats with the regular people.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
Peter as the hookup.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
I have some questions and thought about the angle of
Peter's hat, like.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
We Mackamore, I think, the hell is that?
Speaker 5 (37:00):
Why Maclimore?
Speaker 2 (37:02):
Why not another rapper? Why not a cole or Drake?
Speaker 5 (37:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (37:06):
You know what you Vanilla Ice? What are you doing?
What are you?
Speaker 1 (37:09):
Eminem's only guys I know, Mal Schrager looks fantastic.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
That's a gentleman, the entire mccordy family. Peter, I miss you, Bud.
Speaker 9 (37:17):
Yeah, we missed our gosh we have. We had a
good time, good games last night.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
So okay, we got n FFC coaches breakfast tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
Right, let's go.
Speaker 5 (37:25):
You'll be bad. You'll be bad.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
Don't get in between the reporter and their biscuits and gravy.
Speaker 8 (37:30):
Get out of their wing at against breakfast.
Speaker 5 (37:33):
That's right,
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