April 3, 2026 • 33 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Filling in for Benjamin Albright.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
It's Sacks Seegers, and as always on the show, we've
got the great Nick Ferguson. Nick, we've been arguing about
the officials a good bit. I'm unfortunately playing the role
of company man. But another one of the NFL's big initiatives,
I think we'll find ourselves on the same side of
what do you think about the NFL's efforts to try
(00:22):
and get some of these flag players or sorry, these
NFL players onto the flag roster for the upcoming twenty
twenty eight Summer Olympic Games.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Well, it sounds great in theory, and recently, we're about
about a week and a half ago, I believe, there
was a flag football game.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
We saw some influencers, we saw some ex players.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Tom Brady was in that game, Kyle Shanahan coach, coach,
Sean Payton coach in that game as well. But at
the end of the day, the team that won was
kind of you know, us flag football, which it wasn't close. No,
it wasn't close. And we're talking about you know, average
Joe type of guys. I'm sure these guys have high
school experience and maybe you may have a couple of
(01:07):
guys who may have collegian experience, but none of these
guys have pro experience. And I know it sounds great
and based off based on what we've seen the NBA
do with its Basketball Association that Grant Hills over US basketball.
It's done a fantastic job and they've been competitive. But
(01:27):
what we've seen is that the world caught up to
them too as well. And there are different rules to
the game, the fever rules that the NBA players struggle with,
just like NFL players struggle with the flag football rules.
So while it looks great to go out and represent
your country, I was glad some of those regular average
day dudes went out there and showed them up.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
And Roger Goodell was like, yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
You know, hey, we're gonna have some guys in Olympics,
and Sean Payton was like, I don't know about that.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
I don't know about that. Here's what Sean Payton had
to say as people missed it. That was humbling. I
think this.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
You remember the home Alone series and McAuley culkin was inside, well,
McCauley culkin was the international team and I felt like
coach Harboneye for the two guys outside getting hitting the
head of the iron and tripping over the garden hose.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
It's an entirely different game.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
It was kind of cool to be around those guys
like that was a big deal. I think when this
first was announced, there was this feeling there would be
ten NFL players on that roster, and I'll be surprised
if there's one. I just think, I think we have
plenty of players that can acclimate, but it's going to
take a month or two. And then if you're one
(02:42):
of those players, do you have that month or two
if you're training for that, you're not training, you know,
And so I just think it's in a good spot.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
And I think he's right.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
I think if there's an NFL after what we saw,
if there's an NFL player on the roster, it's going
to be a Christian Ladner situation where it's, you know,
like on that dream team, well, we should still have
one college guy on the squad, so they had Laterner
on there. I think that's kind of what we'll see here,
where the NFL has so many, so much marketing money
(03:14):
invested in this and they want to get their NFL
players in the game. That said, I think if you
get too many NFL players on those flag rosters, the
US might not bring home gold and that would be
very embarrassing.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
In flag football, well, yes, it will be embarrassing because
it will take place in Los Angeles in twenty twenty eight.
You will be the host city, and more importantly, you
are the US.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
It's your sport.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
This is your sport, and you're supposed to go out
there and you're supposed to dominate because like, well, this
is the best of the best, right and the best
of you best is losing to other countries and that
would be embarrassing. And Coach Payton is right, and I'm
right there because I've broke into football playing flag football,
(04:01):
there's a different set of skills that are required that
you have to master and contact football, you know, we're
running into guys, but this is different.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Now we're talking about.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Having a certain expertise when it comes to hand eye coordination.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Because I saw.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Tom Brady, who can't he couldn't move when I played
against him.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
He still can't move, but.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
He was able to shift his hips make the guy
you know miss his flag and throw a touchdown.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Right, So imagine a faster.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Guy at that position and you're trying to grab his flag.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Yeah, and the rules are so different with the double
quarterbacks that through the teams completely for a loop. The
athletic requirements are so different. It's all about, like in
this word, being smaller is kind of better it you know,
limits that strike, so it makes it harder for them
to go down and get your flag. The ability to
like bend seems like obviously we talk about that with
(05:02):
edge rushers in the NFL, but it seems critical in
flag when you see these athletes I don't even know
how to talk about it, like like water skimming across
the ground, like running on their shins practically, but their
knees aren't touching the turf.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
It's it's unreal.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Hey, here's a perfect metaphor, like smoke through a keyhole. Yes,
it's like smoke through a keyhole. Dog, That's exactly what
it is. And we've seen it. Let's look at the
world of the NFL, for instance, we've seen bigger corners
struggle with smaller type wide receivers.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Yeah, because it forces you to bend.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
You are now playing against a guy who can accelerate,
accelerate in short areas of space and these guys have
been doing flag football like forever, and now you're asking
someone to learn on a job, and you have to
learn to adapt quickly. But the biggest issue and Coach
Champagne and that audio you played speaks to the fact
(05:59):
that of and he's already telling you where he.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Think he's thinking.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
So if there's any Denver Broncos player think that you're
playing in twenty twenty eight, you're not gonna play because
because if you're working to fine tune your flag football skills,
you're not working to fine tune your skills to come
back and be competitive. So that's another thing. And then
you throw the injury factor in it.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
What was it? What was the guy? What was it?
Robert Smith?
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Is that Robert Robert Smith I think that was his name,
play running back for the Patriots And this is where
it was a Pro Bowl and they were playing flag
football on his hand and he ended up shredding his
knee and he never really came.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Back from that. I'm Robert Edwards. Edward, thank you, Robert Verds.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
I don't know if I said Robert Smith, but yes,
So that is something you think about. How many teams
will like to have their players standing there on you
know the platform, you know, accepting the gold medal.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
You want that, but at what costs? That's the whole thing.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
So I'm like, man, let these guys who are not
in the NFL, let them go out.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
There and kind of let them be validated. Let them
go out there at their moment. They built this sport
and let them have their moment.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Man. Look, NFL guys are not I'm clapping for you
know why. Unlike Ryan Edwards, I love America, right, I'm
not comrade Edwards. Right, I love America. So it's USA baby,
all day, every day.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
And that's the thing.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
If you really want to win gold, I think you
send a team that's won the international championship, the world
championship in this sport. I think it's like six seven,
eight years running, like they dominate this sport. You can
send that team to the Olympics and probably clean up.
And I think it's fine that the NFL guys aren't,
(07:52):
you know, fully ready to play this game. They don't
have to be there exactly, and it's not built for them.
You know, if you remove contact as an element from
the sport, different body types are going to thrive and
any level of football. Contact is a huge part of
the game, like from high school up. So these players,
you know, all the guys who couldn't handle contact have
(08:14):
gotten weeded out through the process. You're not sending those
guys to the Olympics. I think it's a funky mismatch
and talent. And again think I think there's no shame
in that for the NFL guys, because imagine taking some
of these Flag superstars that are five to five, one
hundred and fifty pounds and putting them on an NFL field.
They get carted off after the first quarter. So it's
(08:35):
just it's different body types. Football is in the name
of the sport, it's a completely different sport.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Well, and listen, man, I understand a lot of these
guys who because back in my old neighborhood there are
a lot of guys who do were not for whatever reason,
didn't play high school football. They didn't go on to
play college or the pros. But they were exceptional athletes.
They're just kind of wrong place right time. Put them
(09:01):
in a tough situation and maybe they didn't have all
the measurables to make it to the next level. But
as far as Flag is, concerned they dominate that sport.
So if there were if there was a quarterback who
I would say I would love to see represent the NFL.
Right if you had a couple of guys Kyler Murray
(09:23):
because his skill set and his ability to move and
work in small spaces and still throw the ball down
the field, he would be excellent for flag football.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
But I know the.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
NFL wants to say, look, we're hosting, the games are
going to be at so far this is an opportunity.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Once again, that.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
Management side that you want to lean on is that
guess what, they're trying to maximize exposure. So they're going
to find a way to get one or two players
on so they can kind of sell the brand itself.
Because think about what this is in a nutshell, We've
already talked about before about how the league is trying
to expand and kind of eat into the I guess
(10:05):
the NBA, far as being international, what better way to
do it. All the countries will be here and you
can show your dominance. But I'm like, man, let's give
it to those guys who are hungry. And that's the
reason why Coach Payton said that he and coach harball
fail like the Sticky bandits from Home alone, because there
(10:28):
was a fish out of the water. These guys are hungry.
The NFL guys are like, man, I'm making dollars. This
is is football. But these guys out there hungry and
they played that way.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
No, I think the guys that might work for this
are guys you would never think of, Like Julia McLoughlin.
Could I could see working for this because he's okay, guy,
he's what the whole his game would be. Don't worry
about that. Can you throw he don't put him in
one of the quarterback to you just talked.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
About the quarterback double pass.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
There's there's what. There's six players on the field. He
can be one of the other four. Okay, day, can't
you play defense? I feel more confident in that we'd
see allow to see how he pulls up black.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
You know you did not sound as confident as your
originally sound when you throw a little Now.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
I don't know how, but I'm saying these are the
types of guys I don't think it'll be you know who,
like it won't be sake one Barkley as great of
a running back as he is, because it's not going
to be the six to two and twenty pound guys.
It's gonna be like Deuce Vaughn, the guy who was
great coming out of Kansas State but couldn't make it.
I think he might still be on the Broncos practice squad.
He's five to five like a buck seventy.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Pull center of gravity. Yeah, that's that's the type of
guy who might make it.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Everybody on the team USA team presently is under six foot.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
I think they might even all be under five eleven.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
So I just as as a line of demarcation, if
your guys five to eleven six foot are up, it's
not happening. There's a reason why you went with the
shortest quarterback we've ever seen in Kyler Murray.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
I'm just the skill set. It matches the game.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Just like a guy like Miles Garrett who dominated in
the NFL, who dominates as far as sax and concern,
he wouldn't be good for it.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Different types of athleticism, Like we've seen him be in
the NBA All Star Game, like celebrity All Star Game,
and it's like, man, that guy on NBA team, he's
on real But if you put them on a flag field.
He'd look like a giant like ogre chase it around
rabbits or something.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
He looked like a karate kid chasing around the chickens.
He'd have no chance out there with those little fans.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
So he looked like a baby giraffe that was just born. Yeah, exactly,
they're born. They're trying to stand up and walk, and
he just kind of looked real fragive, look like they're
walking on ice with roller blades on.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
And that's what these Flag guys did to the NFL
guys the first time.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
They matched up. It was.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
It's a fascinating like I think the brand of athleticism
is just very, very different.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
The one thing that helps the NFL players just a little,
just very slightly is ego. Right, the NFL players they
don't want to look bad. They're going to compete. Even
then that the Flag football matchup against USA Flag, the
guys competed.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
That's what you expected them to do.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Like OBJ was out there like vintage OBJ with one
hand grass right, But when they came where the rubber
met the role that those USA Flag guys separated themselves
because the change of direction and the smaller guys were
able to use the change of direction against NFL guys
(13:40):
who I mean they trained all their life, but still
there were no competition for guys who were not on
their level from a professional standpoint.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
And part of his media availability, Sean Payton said, he thinks,
you know, like the NBA point guard type are to type,
like like and Isaiah Thomas who wasn't big enough to
make it in the NBA but has that type of
court vision, and that fluidity is maybe more used to
the chaos of you know, constant movement and later rules
(14:09):
and all these sorts of things passing and not such
a structured format like we're used to seeing.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
It in the NFL.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Yeah, those guys might actually thrive better than than NFL players.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
I thought that was an interest.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Well you know what who speaking of which, I thought
about Alan Iverson right, A lot of people didn't know
Alan Iverson played football. He was a quarterback in high school.
Huge recruit.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
I think it was maybe a five star, yes, and
guys like that, Like I merely thought about Kyrie Irving
right with that crossover.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
Oh, because that's that's what it is. When you think
about it, it's stop and start. Can you go in
one direction and quickly, like really quickly with the foot
frequency stop on a dime, make change and go back
the opposite way, right, I can tell you defensively, that's
the most embarrassing thing ever.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
The next thing under that someone running you over.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
So you'd rather get run over than have someone hit
the brakes on you and then leave you in the dusk?
Speaker 3 (15:05):
Oh yeah, at least if I get run over, I
can say, you know what, hey, man, he just he
just got me on that plane.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
I'll come back next play and get him. I stuck
in there. I made the physical try.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Yes, because the idea you can you can sell this, right,
You could at least say at least I put my
face in the fan.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Yeah, I was.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
I was a willing tackler. Took what I took one
for the team. Well, when a dude masters you up
right and he has you over on, leaning on the
right side, like the leaning towe or pisa, and he's
going to opposite way, what are you gonna say, because
guess what, someone's gonna catch a photo of it.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Right, that's like being dugg on. You're being put on
a poster.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
You're on a poster and you're falling on the ground, right, yeah,
just run me over. I'm not you know you're not
about to cut me up like that, nobody.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Someone Sean Payton said was great at starting fast and
stopping fast.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Jayalen Wattle will talk about him.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
So next in the NFL six pack, right here on
Broncos Country tonight on a fifty KOA. Now it's time
as we put a kappra on this good Friday, this
Friday of fun home opener Friday. It's time four one
(16:20):
second NFL six pos.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Time for the NFL six Pad.
Speaker 5 (16:24):
I'm gonna pay a lot of insight and insight information
you can't find anywhere else.
Speaker 4 (16:29):
I know.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Six the top six NFL headlines.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
What Tron Armstead was on Good Morning Football earlier this
week and had some kind words to say about his
former teammate Jalen Wattle, including that he thinks the Denver
Broncos are going to get the very best version of
Wattle that we've seen yet.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
It's truly a gift.
Speaker 6 (16:55):
He's his explosive miss, competitive miss. He's a he's a doll.
You guys don't really know much about Jalen Wattle. His personality.
He's a very quiet, quiet guy. He keeps his head
down in words, but his nickname is Keys because he'd
be sliding on folks. The elusiveness, the competitiveness he's grown up,
(17:17):
washing and grow over these last few years as a leader,
as a professional, as a man.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
We haven't even seen his best ball yet.
Speaker 6 (17:25):
It's truly a gift from Denver Broncos.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
What do you make of Tron Armstead's comments about Wattle
and what do you make of all the glowing reviews
we are hearing from Peyton Armstead and everyone else about
Wattle's on an off field character.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
Well, who better to speak about the player's ability on
and off field than someone who shared the locker room
with him? And it goes back to the idea that
really recognized real like players. They will tell you the
real about another player, and sometimes those players that are
talking about might not like it right because the truth
there's a hard peal to swaddle. But when you talk
(18:04):
about Jalen Wattle, there's a lot that he brings to
the table. And one of the reasons that the Broncos
not only went after him last year but were able
to secure him this year and gave up what they
gave uh to acquire him.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Because they're they're they're wanting.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
To get the offense to a certain level, and the
only way you can do that is bring more explosive
plays and everything.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
That this team is doing.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
It is not just to propel this team for it,
but it is to set bow Nix up. And this
acquisition Jaalen Wattle, I can't wait to see what happens.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
I think it sets up bow Nicks beautifully. It's such
a great compliment, honestly to what bow Knicks does.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
Well. We know he's an accurate delivery of the football.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
He throws the ball close to the line of scrimmage
a lot. Jalen Wattle is a guy who can take
you know, those short slants, those those screens, those any
route frankly from anywhere on the field and has a
chance to score at any given time. That's an element
this Broncos offense was lack.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Don't have.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Yeah, you know they you wanted to have it with
Troy Franklin and Marvin Nim's, but they were not the
consistent weapons that Jalen Wattle offers.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Because what I'm looking for, I'm looking for.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Yack yards yards, have to catch right, Frankley's not giving
you that.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
Yeah, when we think about explosive plays with taking ten plus,
but you could turn a five yard hitch or slant
route and take it to the grid and go to
the house.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
With how we're seeing these defenses play and like the
post Fangio era where it's all these soft shell coverages,
that's kind of the easier way almost to create explosives,
those short passes where a guy finds increasing the defense
and pops for twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
Yards and that sets up the running game nicely.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
As we talk about Wattle this way, I know you
and Grant were talking about him being the number one
receiver going forward.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
Do you think we could see Cortland.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Sutton effectively pushed out of this Broncos offense in twenty
twenty seven, with both of them becoming more expensive, Then.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
Yeah, that's always a strong possibility, But that would be
predicated on the value that Watt adds as far as
level of production, his own individual production and his threat
of being on the field opening up creating space for
everyone else to be productive. That's where ultimate value comes from.
(20:22):
And that's why I said to the other guys, hey
Ben and Steve Attwater. That's why he's wide receiver one
in my book.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Two well put joining Tron Armstead on GMFB during that
appearance was former NFL legend Drew Bledsoe. The longtime quarterback
for the New England Patriots, also played some for Sean
Payton in Dallas. Here's what he had to say about
(20:50):
bo Nix and Sean Payton as his play caller.
Speaker 5 (20:53):
Well, first of all, I have to admit it's kind
of hard for me to cheer for an organ Duck.
They kind of have a number in college. You know,
we're surround about all these fans up in the Northwest,
and they're a little bit annoying, So it's abst but man,
I'm a big bon Knicks fan and watching what he's
done as quickly as he's done it. And then you know, look,
as a quarterback, your play caller can be your best
(21:14):
friend and and if you've got a great one, man,
it makes life easy. I was with Sean for one
year in Dallas. I had eight coordinators in fourteen years,
and Sean was was definitely my favorite play caller that
I was with. Everything one play built on the next.
I always knew I was coming next. He's very calm
most of the time, and as a quarterback man, it's
(21:38):
just a great thing to have in your corner to
have a truly great play caller that sets you up
for success.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
I like how he caught himself there. He's very calm,
but most of the time. What do you make a
Bledsoe's comments about Nix and Peyton in that relationship. Also,
how do you think Knicks is going to fair with
Davis webcall in the place next year?
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Well?
Speaker 3 (21:58):
I like what Blesso was saying about Sean because he
spent some time around him, so he knows him well
and obviously calm most.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Of the time.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
I think you can say that about a lot of coach,
especially when you play a quarterback position, and sometimes you
don't make the right read or you don't extend to
drive because of poor decision making, you're going to get
a near full But the fact that Davis Webb is
now projected to be the signal caller, I'm expecting great
things from bow next because I said this before. When
(22:28):
we think about the quarterback and his relationship, we always think.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
About the coordinator.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
When you think about the head coach, especially if it's
an offensive guy. But in my book, that guy who
has established a working rapport with the quarterback is a
quarterback coach, Because who's around the quarterback the most, that
guy who's isolated with the quarterback the most in a
small setting, whereas the quarterback coach and maybe two or
three guys, it's that quarterback coach, and that relationship is
(22:56):
so biden, is so important. I'll you will kind of
throw and I know you're not a Russell Wilson fan,
but anytime when Russell was here, when Russell was in
a situation where coach paid might not have liked this decision,
who was the first guy sitting right next to him
trying to cheer him up?
Speaker 1 (23:12):
Davis Webb. Yeah, Davis. Web's been critical for this operation,
and I think you.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Make us such a good point with him as that
intermediary in the relationship. So many people have focused on
the negative of that, which I do think is really
you're losing Web in that quarterback room with bo Nicks
and the chemistry and relationship they had in that regard.
But now you're going to have that guy who probably
knows bo Nix's play calling, likes and dislikes better than
(23:39):
just about anyone else. You're going to have that guy
calling the plays himself and probably steering the offense even
more in a direction that Nixon has come from.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
I think we're going to see Davis Webb being more active,
still keeping and maintaining that relationship between he and bol
because Logan Killgore is now in the quarterbacks coach. Yeah right,
and Logan, even though he's been with the team, he
doesn't have that same report. So I anticipate that Davis
Webb is still going to be hands on what's trying
to bridge that gap between both Nicks and Low and Kilgore.
Speaker 5 (24:09):
Three.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
The NFL announced offseason workout dates for all thirty two
teams today. Some teams are starting as early as April seventh.
The Broncos, however, are going to be the very last
team in the league to report.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
They report on May fourth.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
What do you make of the Broncos being the last
team to report and do you think this even matters
at all or is this just necessilly argument fodder?
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Well, the first thing I'm going to say, may the
fourth be with you? Of course.
Speaker 3 (24:43):
Secondly, this is great for the Denver Broncos because we've
seen this in a lot of major sports. We even
see the Denver Nuggets go through it. Usually when you
have a championship run or close to what the Broncos have.
I mean, he eats up a lot of your offseason.
You don't really have that time off that you normally
want to. And this is the way that the coach
is kind of gifting the players and an opportunity to say, well,
(25:06):
I appreciate what you did for us last season. We
want to give you some time off, but when you
come back in the building.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
Time to work. It's time to go.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
And I think that the players are going to reward
coach Payton with some you know, great offseason work and
we're hoping that that translates to what happens in training
camp and then ultimately it translated into wins wins in
the regular season.
Speaker 5 (25:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
And you know, one, it helps limit or I guess
extend how much time you have between you know that
that AFC Championship game loss and now or when you're reporting.
It gives you a little bit more to your off season.
But also it you know, maybe shrinks how long of
a grind you're going to have this upcoming season where
(25:52):
you know everyone if everyone else is reporting a month
sooner and has a month less of their break. You know,
they're going to have a month less tread on their
tires too when it's coming to our or yeah, a
month less tread on their tires too when it's coming
to you know, January, and those those final days of
the season in January and February, which is where the
Broncos want to play. They're hoping to play a full,
(26:15):
you know what, five month long season. They're not looking
to go home at the start of January, like you know,
more than half the teams in the league.
Speaker 3 (26:22):
But this plays back into the idea of becoming a
free agent destination where players want.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
To come here. You don't have to recruit them.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
The atmosphere and everything that's happening with the team, it
recruits itself. So if the Broncos go on reporting May four, healthy,
move into the regular season, replicate anything of what they
were able to do in twenty twenty five, other free
agents can say, well, I want to go there because
the organization is going.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
To take care of you.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
Or Eric Ebron had some very interesting accusations to make
about current Colts GM Chris Ballards regarding longtime Colts quarterback
Andrew Luck.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Andrew then decides that he's so tired of he don't
tell nobody this. This is the backstory. He's so tired
of injury and he just doesn't want to do a surgery.
Speaker 6 (27:22):
You know who the man is around there that gets
on everybody's nerves.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
Big drawls over there behind that disc. He tells Andrew
this is word, bro. He tells Andrew, you're either playing
this year or we're moving on. Who the fuck would
tell Andrew Luck that? Right? Andrew Luck now says, I'm
(27:49):
not gonna be ready. I'm tired of play with Payne,
I retire.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
I've got to cut out part of that live. Basically,
he said that Chris Baal gave Andrew Luck an ultimatum
between either you know, recovering longer from the injury, and
if that was the case, if they couldn't rely on
him to be healthiest, as Ballard was more or less
putting it, per Ebron, they they would have to move
(28:16):
on from him. And you know, if Andrew Luck would
maybe forego some of that rehab time and show up,
they could keep playing with Andrew Luck. Andrew Luck wasn't
willing to do that. And the Colts and as a result,
chose to retire. This seemingly blames Chris Ballard for lux retirement.
Do you think that should heat up the seat on
Chris Ballard at all?
Speaker 3 (28:37):
Well, yeah, of course when you have Andrew Luck who
came in and he was supposed to be the airparent
who Payton Manning, obviously he was going to take him
a lot to duplicate it. But I remember watching the
football game and I think Adam Schefter might have tweeted
it out that Andrew Luck was going to retire and
everyone was like, Hey, the game's not even over, so
(28:58):
how does he know that? But to force a quarterback
out and put a player in that type of situation
knowing he is your quarterback, and how turbulent the things
have been for the Colts even before Haydon even got there.
I remember growing up watching Jeff George. He had a
monster arm, but I mean he didn't really play too
well and he didn't lead the Colts to where they
(29:19):
needed to go to. But to me, you don't want
to put player in that tough situation. And good on
Andrew Luck, because Andrew Luck did something that most players
can't do. Decide you know what, I'm out. I got
enough cash, I got enough dough. I'm out. But to
make a guy decide between his health and playing for
the team. And look, I'm all about loyalty, but you
got to be loyal to you and your family.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
So good on Andrew Luck five.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
Travon Walker and the Jags agreed to a four year,
one hundred and ten million dollar deal today.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
What do you make of that deal?
Speaker 2 (29:50):
And do you think the cements that Aiden Hutchinson would
have been the right picket number one that year?
Speaker 3 (29:55):
You know, I don't want to say that Hutcherson would
have been number one pick, but I would say that
this moves the go posts as far as as Rush
is getting paid.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
It changes a lot.
Speaker 3 (30:07):
As far as how teams navigate and move from this standpoint.
But I also say this, man, I'm not happy for
anyone who gets the bag. I know you are not
happy for people who gets the bag, but I am,
for one.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
I'm happy for people to get the bag. Six years.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
We run through these last ones quickly. Lamar Jackson total reporters.
He definitely wants Jadevian Clowney back on the Baltimore Ravens.
Do you think Clowney makes sense for the Ravens as
they push their chips in for a Super Bowl this year.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
Well, he makes sense for the idea of adding depth
to the team and his experience and it helps win
the franchise quarterback just kind of goes out on the
limb and you know, kind of calls you out by
name and say, hey, listen, we can really use this guy.
And j David Clowney is not the same guy he
was when he first came out of South Carolina, but
surrounded by the right pieces, especially that Baltimore defense, and
(31:01):
you got Trey Henderson there. So with teams looking at
double Trey Henderson, that means there's going to be singles
across the field and Jadevid Clowney could be one of
the guys that capitalize off that.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
So it could work out for him. Yeah, I think
that's a great point. And you need, you know, someone
who's a little more stout to compliment Trey Henderson, who's
a great pass rusher, doesn't offer you a ton against
the run. Clowney's maybe not the best pass rusher at
this point in his career, but he is a big, physical,
strong edge who can set that edge for you, help
you defend the run and maybe remedy that problem for
(31:35):
the Ravens. He also is familiar with this defense.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
And if I'm not mistaken, and I think Jadavion Clowney
was with the Houston Texans when Anthony Weaver was there
at the time, who's now the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
That would man, there's a lot of connections there, saying
I think he would have also been there in Baltimore
the last time Jesse Mentor was in Baltimore as a
defensive assistant, So lots of connective tissue. I think Lamar
might get his wish on this one.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Well, here's what I do know.
Speaker 3 (32:06):
People get a lot of jobs when there's a familiarity
with an individual. So it seemed like to be a
lot of familiarity there. So what's the worst that can happen?
Speaker 1 (32:15):
Absolutely? Do you think this is? Dear the Ravens finally
get over the.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
Hump, woo finally. M you know what, I'm not sure.
I think they'll get closed. They're gonna be competitive, but
I just feel as though you never know at the
end of the season due to injuries.
Speaker 1 (32:31):
But I would like to see Baltimore get there.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Yeah, it would be great to see. You know, obviously
you want the Broncos in there. But if not the Broncos,
you know one of these other AFC teams that has
yet to get.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
Over the hump.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
Not not the Patriots or the Chiefs, not the dynasties
of this twenty first century. It'd be nice to get
some fresh blood in that Super Bowl. Hey, listen, take
advantage of where you can.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
Why the Chiefs are down, because it's not gonna last
too long.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
I'm just saying.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
And it's not often you see a first year head
coach win the Super Bowl. It's happened before, but it's
not super That's something the Mike mcdanield was second year,
Mike McDonald was second year. Yes, but it's not something
you see all that often. So I think, you know,
this might be a chance where if you got the
Ravens dealing with that, Bill's dealing with that Chief's got
(33:15):
the Mahomes thing, maybe maybe the Broncos can get over
the top.
Speaker 1 (33:18):
Amen, shoot your shot, Shoot your shot. What a pleasure
doing this with you.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
Nick, Have a great rest of your weekend, man, And
we got more Broncos Country tonight coming up after this
Filling in for Benjamin Albright.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
It's Sacks Seegers, and as always on the show, we've
got the great Nick Ferguson. Nick, we've been arguing about
the officials a good bit. I'm unfortunately playing the role
of company man. But another one of the NFL's big initiatives,
I think we'll find ourselves on the same side of
what do you think about the NFL's efforts to try
(00:22):
and get some of these flag players or sorry, these
NFL players onto the flag roster for the upcoming twenty
twenty eight Summer Olympic Games.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Well, it sounds great in theory, and recently, we're about
about a week and a half ago, I believe, there
was a flag football game.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
We saw some influencers, we saw some ex players.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Tom Brady was in that game, Kyle Shanahan coach, coach,
Sean Payton coach in that game as well. But at
the end of the day, the team that won was
kind of you know, us flag football, which it wasn't close. No,
it wasn't close. And we're talking about you know, average
Joe type of guys. I'm sure these guys have high
school experience and maybe you may have a couple of
(01:07):
guys who may have collegian experience, but none of these
guys have pro experience. And I know it sounds great
and based off based on what we've seen the NBA
do with its Basketball Association that Grant Hills over US basketball.
It's done a fantastic job and they've been competitive. But
(01:27):
what we've seen is that the world caught up to
them too as well. And there are different rules to
the game, the fever rules that the NBA players struggle with,
just like NFL players struggle with the flag football rules.
So while it looks great to go out and represent
your country, I was glad some of those regular average
day dudes went out there and showed them up.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
And Roger Goodell was like, yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
You know, hey, we're gonna have some guys in Olympics,
and Sean Payton was like, I don't know about that.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
I don't know about that. Here's what Sean Payton had
to say as people missed it. That was humbling. I
think this.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
You remember the home Alone series and McAuley culkin was inside, well,
McCauley culkin was the international team and I felt like
coach Harboneye for the two guys outside getting hitting the
head of the iron and tripping over the garden hose.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
It's an entirely different game.
Speaker 4 (02:21):
It was kind of cool to be around those guys
like that was a big deal. I think when this
first was announced, there was this feeling there would be
ten NFL players on that roster, and I'll be surprised
if there's one. I just think, I think we have
plenty of players that can acclimate, but it's going to
take a month or two. And then if you're one
(02:42):
of those players, do you have that month or two
if you're training for that, you're not training, you know,
And so I just think it's in a good spot.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
And I think he's right.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
I think if there's an NFL after what we saw,
if there's an NFL player on the roster, it's going
to be a Christian Ladner situation where it's, you know,
like on that dream team, well, we should still have
one college guy on the squad, so they had Laterner
on there. I think that's kind of what we'll see here,
where the NFL has so many, so much marketing money
(03:14):
invested in this and they want to get their NFL
players in the game. That said, I think if you
get too many NFL players on those flag rosters, the
US might not bring home gold and that would be
very embarrassing.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
In flag football, well, yes, it will be embarrassing because
it will take place in Los Angeles in twenty twenty eight.
You will be the host city, and more importantly, you
are the US.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
It's your sport.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
This is your sport, and you're supposed to go out
there and you're supposed to dominate because like, well, this
is the best of the best, right and the best
of you best is losing to other countries and that
would be embarrassing. And Coach Payton is right, and I'm
right there because I've broke into football playing flag football,
(04:01):
there's a different set of skills that are required that
you have to master and contact football, you know, we're
running into guys, but this is different.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Now we're talking about.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Having a certain expertise when it comes to hand eye coordination.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Because I saw.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Tom Brady, who can't he couldn't move when I played
against him.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
He still can't move, but.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
He was able to shift his hips make the guy
you know miss his flag and throw a touchdown.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Right, So imagine a faster.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Guy at that position and you're trying to grab his flag.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Yeah, and the rules are so different with the double
quarterbacks that through the teams completely for a loop. The
athletic requirements are so different. It's all about, like in
this word, being smaller is kind of better it you know,
limits that strike, so it makes it harder for them
to go down and get your flag. The ability to
like bend seems like obviously we talk about that with
(05:02):
edge rushers in the NFL, but it seems critical in
flag when you see these athletes I don't even know
how to talk about it, like like water skimming across
the ground, like running on their shins practically, but their
knees aren't touching the turf.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
It's it's unreal.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Hey, here's a perfect metaphor, like smoke through a keyhole. Yes,
it's like smoke through a keyhole. Dog, That's exactly what
it is. And we've seen it. Let's look at the
world of the NFL, for instance, we've seen bigger corners
struggle with smaller type wide receivers.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Yeah, because it forces you to bend.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
You are now playing against a guy who can accelerate,
accelerate in short areas of space and these guys have
been doing flag football like forever, and now you're asking
someone to learn on a job, and you have to
learn to adapt quickly. But the biggest issue and Coach
Champagne and that audio you played speaks to the fact
(05:59):
that of and he's already telling you where he.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Think he's thinking.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
So if there's any Denver Broncos player think that you're
playing in twenty twenty eight, you're not gonna play because
because if you're working to fine tune your flag football skills,
you're not working to fine tune your skills to come
back and be competitive. So that's another thing. And then
you throw the injury factor in it.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
What was it? What was the guy? What was it?
Robert Smith?
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Is that Robert Robert Smith I think that was his name,
play running back for the Patriots And this is where
it was a Pro Bowl and they were playing flag
football on his hand and he ended up shredding his
knee and he never really came.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Back from that. I'm Robert Edwards. Edward, thank you, Robert Verds.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
I don't know if I said Robert Smith, but yes,
So that is something you think about. How many teams
will like to have their players standing there on you
know the platform, you know, accepting the gold medal.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
You want that, but at what costs? That's the whole thing.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
So I'm like, man, let these guys who are not
in the NFL, let them go out.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
There and kind of let them be validated. Let them
go out there at their moment. They built this sport
and let them have their moment.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Man. Look, NFL guys are not I'm clapping for you
know why. Unlike Ryan Edwards, I love America, right, I'm
not comrade Edwards. Right, I love America. So it's USA baby,
all day, every day.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
And that's the thing.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
If you really want to win gold, I think you
send a team that's won the international championship, the world
championship in this sport. I think it's like six seven,
eight years running, like they dominate this sport. You can
send that team to the Olympics and probably clean up.
And I think it's fine that the NFL guys aren't,
(07:52):
you know, fully ready to play this game. They don't
have to be there exactly, and it's not built for them.
You know, if you remove contact as an element from
the sport, different body types are going to thrive and
any level of football. Contact is a huge part of
the game, like from high school up. So these players,
you know, all the guys who couldn't handle contact have
(08:14):
gotten weeded out through the process. You're not sending those
guys to the Olympics. I think it's a funky mismatch
and talent. And again think I think there's no shame
in that for the NFL guys, because imagine taking some
of these Flag superstars that are five to five, one
hundred and fifty pounds and putting them on an NFL field.
They get carted off after the first quarter. So it's
(08:35):
just it's different body types. Football is in the name
of the sport, it's a completely different sport.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Well, and listen, man, I understand a lot of these
guys who because back in my old neighborhood there are
a lot of guys who do were not for whatever reason,
didn't play high school football. They didn't go on to
play college or the pros. But they were exceptional athletes.
They're just kind of wrong place right time. Put them
(09:01):
in a tough situation and maybe they didn't have all
the measurables to make it to the next level. But
as far as Flag is, concerned they dominate that sport.
So if there were if there was a quarterback who
I would say I would love to see represent the NFL.
Right if you had a couple of guys Kyler Murray
(09:23):
because his skill set and his ability to move and
work in small spaces and still throw the ball down
the field, he would be excellent for flag football.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
But I know the.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
NFL wants to say, look, we're hosting, the games are
going to be at so far this is an opportunity.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Once again, that.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
Management side that you want to lean on is that
guess what, they're trying to maximize exposure. So they're going
to find a way to get one or two players
on so they can kind of sell the brand itself.
Because think about what this is in a nutshell, We've
already talked about before about how the league is trying
to expand and kind of eat into the I guess
(10:05):
the NBA, far as being international, what better way to
do it. All the countries will be here and you
can show your dominance. But I'm like, man, let's give
it to those guys who are hungry. And that's the
reason why Coach Payton said that he and coach harball
fail like the Sticky bandits from Home alone, because there
(10:28):
was a fish out of the water. These guys are hungry.
The NFL guys are like, man, I'm making dollars. This
is is football. But these guys out there hungry and
they played that way.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
No, I think the guys that might work for this
are guys you would never think of, Like Julia McLoughlin.
Could I could see working for this because he's okay, guy,
he's what the whole his game would be. Don't worry
about that. Can you throw he don't put him in
one of the quarterback to you just talked.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
About the quarterback double pass.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
There's there's what. There's six players on the field. He
can be one of the other four. Okay, day, can't
you play defense? I feel more confident in that we'd
see allow to see how he pulls up black.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
You know you did not sound as confident as your
originally sound when you throw a little Now.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
I don't know how, but I'm saying these are the
types of guys I don't think it'll be you know who,
like it won't be sake one Barkley as great of
a running back as he is, because it's not going
to be the six to two and twenty pound guys.
It's gonna be like Deuce Vaughn, the guy who was
great coming out of Kansas State but couldn't make it.
I think he might still be on the Broncos practice squad.
He's five to five like a buck seventy.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Pull center of gravity. Yeah, that's that's the type of
guy who might make it.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Everybody on the team USA team presently is under six foot.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
I think they might even all be under five eleven.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
So I just as as a line of demarcation, if
your guys five to eleven six foot are up, it's
not happening. There's a reason why you went with the
shortest quarterback we've ever seen in Kyler Murray.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
I'm just the skill set. It matches the game.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Just like a guy like Miles Garrett who dominated in
the NFL, who dominates as far as sax and concern,
he wouldn't be good for it.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Different types of athleticism, Like we've seen him be in
the NBA All Star Game, like celebrity All Star Game,
and it's like, man, that guy on NBA team, he's
on real But if you put them on a flag field.
He'd look like a giant like ogre chase it around
rabbits or something.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
He looked like a karate kid chasing around the chickens.
He'd have no chance out there with those little fans.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
So he looked like a baby giraffe that was just born. Yeah, exactly,
they're born. They're trying to stand up and walk, and
he just kind of looked real fragive, look like they're
walking on ice with roller blades on.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
And that's what these Flag guys did to the NFL
guys the first time.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
They matched up. It was.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
It's a fascinating like I think the brand of athleticism
is just very, very different.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
The one thing that helps the NFL players just a little,
just very slightly is ego. Right, the NFL players they
don't want to look bad. They're going to compete. Even
then that the Flag football matchup against USA Flag, the
guys competed.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
That's what you expected them to do.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Like OBJ was out there like vintage OBJ with one
hand grass right, But when they came where the rubber
met the role that those USA Flag guys separated themselves
because the change of direction and the smaller guys were
able to use the change of direction against NFL guys
(13:40):
who I mean they trained all their life, but still
there were no competition for guys who were not on
their level from a professional standpoint.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
And part of his media availability, Sean Payton said, he thinks,
you know, like the NBA point guard type are to type,
like like and Isaiah Thomas who wasn't big enough to
make it in the NBA but has that type of
court vision, and that fluidity is maybe more used to
the chaos of you know, constant movement and later rules
(14:09):
and all these sorts of things passing and not such
a structured format like we're used to seeing.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
It in the NFL.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Yeah, those guys might actually thrive better than than NFL players.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
I thought that was an interest.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Well you know what who speaking of which, I thought
about Alan Iverson right, A lot of people didn't know
Alan Iverson played football. He was a quarterback in high school.
Huge recruit.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
I think it was maybe a five star, yes, and
guys like that, Like I merely thought about Kyrie Irving
right with that crossover.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
Oh, because that's that's what it is. When you think
about it, it's stop and start. Can you go in
one direction and quickly, like really quickly with the foot
frequency stop on a dime, make change and go back
the opposite way, right, I can tell you defensively, that's
the most embarrassing thing ever.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
The next thing under that someone running you over.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
So you'd rather get run over than have someone hit
the brakes on you and then leave you in the dusk?
Speaker 3 (15:05):
Oh yeah, at least if I get run over, I
can say, you know what, hey, man, he just he
just got me on that plane.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
I'll come back next play and get him. I stuck
in there. I made the physical try.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Yes, because the idea you can you can sell this, right,
You could at least say at least I put my
face in the fan.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Yeah, I was.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
I was a willing tackler. Took what I took one
for the team. Well, when a dude masters you up
right and he has you over on, leaning on the
right side, like the leaning towe or pisa, and he's
going to opposite way, what are you gonna say, because
guess what, someone's gonna catch a photo of it.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Right, that's like being dugg on. You're being put on
a poster.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
You're on a poster and you're falling on the ground, right, yeah,
just run me over. I'm not you know you're not
about to cut me up like that, nobody.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Someone Sean Payton said was great at starting fast and
stopping fast.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Jayalen Wattle will talk about him.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
So next in the NFL six pack, right here on
Broncos Country tonight on a fifty KOA. Now it's time
as we put a kappra on this good Friday, this
Friday of fun home opener Friday. It's time four one
(16:20):
second NFL six pos.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Time for the NFL six Pad.
Speaker 5 (16:24):
I'm gonna pay a lot of insight and insight information
you can't find anywhere else.
Speaker 4 (16:29):
I know.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Six the top six NFL headlines.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
What Tron Armstead was on Good Morning Football earlier this
week and had some kind words to say about his
former teammate Jalen Wattle, including that he thinks the Denver
Broncos are going to get the very best version of
Wattle that we've seen yet.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
It's truly a gift.
Speaker 6 (16:55):
He's his explosive miss, competitive miss. He's a he's a doll.
You guys don't really know much about Jalen Wattle. His personality.
He's a very quiet, quiet guy. He keeps his head
down in words, but his nickname is Keys because he'd
be sliding on folks. The elusiveness, the competitiveness he's grown up,
(17:17):
washing and grow over these last few years as a leader,
as a professional, as a man.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
We haven't even seen his best ball yet.
Speaker 6 (17:25):
It's truly a gift from Denver Broncos.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
What do you make of Tron Armstead's comments about Wattle
and what do you make of all the glowing reviews
we are hearing from Peyton Armstead and everyone else about
Wattle's on an off field character.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
Well, who better to speak about the player's ability on
and off field than someone who shared the locker room
with him? And it goes back to the idea that
really recognized real like players. They will tell you the
real about another player, and sometimes those players that are
talking about might not like it right because the truth
there's a hard peal to swaddle. But when you talk
(18:04):
about Jalen Wattle, there's a lot that he brings to
the table. And one of the reasons that the Broncos
not only went after him last year but were able
to secure him this year and gave up what they
gave uh to acquire him.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Because they're they're they're wanting.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
To get the offense to a certain level, and the
only way you can do that is bring more explosive
plays and everything.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
That this team is doing.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
It is not just to propel this team for it,
but it is to set bow Nix up. And this
acquisition Jaalen Wattle, I can't wait to see what happens.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
I think it sets up bow Nicks beautifully. It's such
a great compliment, honestly to what bow Knicks does.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
Well. We know he's an accurate delivery of the football.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
He throws the ball close to the line of scrimmage
a lot. Jalen Wattle is a guy who can take
you know, those short slants, those those screens, those any
route frankly from anywhere on the field and has a
chance to score at any given time. That's an element
this Broncos offense was lack.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Don't have.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Yeah, you know they you wanted to have it with
Troy Franklin and Marvin Nim's, but they were not the
consistent weapons that Jalen Wattle offers.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Because what I'm looking for, I'm looking for.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Yack yards yards, have to catch right, Frankley's not giving
you that.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
Yeah, when we think about explosive plays with taking ten plus,
but you could turn a five yard hitch or slant
route and take it to the grid and go to
the house.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
With how we're seeing these defenses play and like the
post Fangio era where it's all these soft shell coverages,
that's kind of the easier way almost to create explosives,
those short passes where a guy finds increasing the defense
and pops for twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
Yards and that sets up the running game nicely.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
As we talk about Wattle this way, I know you
and Grant were talking about him being the number one
receiver going forward.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
Do you think we could see Cortland.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Sutton effectively pushed out of this Broncos offense in twenty
twenty seven, with both of them becoming more expensive, Then.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
Yeah, that's always a strong possibility, But that would be
predicated on the value that Watt adds as far as
level of production, his own individual production and his threat
of being on the field opening up creating space for
everyone else to be productive. That's where ultimate value comes from.
(20:22):
And that's why I said to the other guys, hey
Ben and Steve Attwater. That's why he's wide receiver one
in my book.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Two well put joining Tron Armstead on GMFB during that
appearance was former NFL legend Drew Bledsoe. The longtime quarterback
for the New England Patriots, also played some for Sean
Payton in Dallas. Here's what he had to say about
(20:50):
bo Nix and Sean Payton as his play caller.
Speaker 5 (20:53):
Well, first of all, I have to admit it's kind
of hard for me to cheer for an organ Duck.
They kind of have a number in college. You know,
we're surround about all these fans up in the Northwest,
and they're a little bit annoying, So it's abst but man,
I'm a big bon Knicks fan and watching what he's
done as quickly as he's done it. And then you know, look,
as a quarterback, your play caller can be your best
(21:14):
friend and and if you've got a great one, man,
it makes life easy. I was with Sean for one
year in Dallas. I had eight coordinators in fourteen years,
and Sean was was definitely my favorite play caller that
I was with. Everything one play built on the next.
I always knew I was coming next. He's very calm
most of the time, and as a quarterback man, it's
(21:38):
just a great thing to have in your corner to
have a truly great play caller that sets you up
for success.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
I like how he caught himself there. He's very calm,
but most of the time. What do you make a
Bledsoe's comments about Nix and Peyton in that relationship. Also,
how do you think Knicks is going to fair with
Davis webcall in the place next year?
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Well?
Speaker 3 (21:58):
I like what Blesso was saying about Sean because he
spent some time around him, so he knows him well
and obviously calm most.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Of the time.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
I think you can say that about a lot of coach,
especially when you play a quarterback position, and sometimes you
don't make the right read or you don't extend to
drive because of poor decision making, you're going to get
a near full But the fact that Davis Webb is
now projected to be the signal caller, I'm expecting great
things from bow next because I said this before. When
(22:28):
we think about the quarterback and his relationship, we always think.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
About the coordinator.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
When you think about the head coach, especially if it's
an offensive guy. But in my book, that guy who
has established a working rapport with the quarterback is a
quarterback coach, Because who's around the quarterback the most, that
guy who's isolated with the quarterback the most in a
small setting, whereas the quarterback coach and maybe two or
three guys, it's that quarterback coach, and that relationship is
(22:56):
so biden, is so important. I'll you will kind of
throw and I know you're not a Russell Wilson fan,
but anytime when Russell was here, when Russell was in
a situation where coach paid might not have liked this decision,
who was the first guy sitting right next to him
trying to cheer him up?
Speaker 1 (23:12):
Davis Webb. Yeah, Davis. Web's been critical for this operation,
and I think you.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Make us such a good point with him as that
intermediary in the relationship. So many people have focused on
the negative of that, which I do think is really
you're losing Web in that quarterback room with bo Nicks
and the chemistry and relationship they had in that regard.
But now you're going to have that guy who probably
knows bo Nix's play calling, likes and dislikes better than
(23:39):
just about anyone else. You're going to have that guy
calling the plays himself and probably steering the offense even
more in a direction that Nixon has come from.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
I think we're going to see Davis Webb being more active,
still keeping and maintaining that relationship between he and bol
because Logan Killgore is now in the quarterbacks coach. Yeah right,
and Logan, even though he's been with the team, he
doesn't have that same report. So I anticipate that Davis
Webb is still going to be hands on what's trying
to bridge that gap between both Nicks and Low and Kilgore.
Speaker 5 (24:09):
Three.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
The NFL announced offseason workout dates for all thirty two
teams today. Some teams are starting as early as April seventh.
The Broncos, however, are going to be the very last
team in the league to report.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
They report on May fourth.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
What do you make of the Broncos being the last
team to report and do you think this even matters
at all or is this just necessilly argument fodder?
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Well, the first thing I'm going to say, may the
fourth be with you? Of course.
Speaker 3 (24:43):
Secondly, this is great for the Denver Broncos because we've
seen this in a lot of major sports. We even
see the Denver Nuggets go through it. Usually when you
have a championship run or close to what the Broncos have.
I mean, he eats up a lot of your offseason.
You don't really have that time off that you normally
want to. And this is the way that the coach
is kind of gifting the players and an opportunity to say, well,
(25:06):
I appreciate what you did for us last season. We
want to give you some time off, but when you
come back in the building.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
Time to work. It's time to go.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
And I think that the players are going to reward
coach Payton with some you know, great offseason work and
we're hoping that that translates to what happens in training
camp and then ultimately it translated into wins wins in
the regular season.
Speaker 5 (25:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
And you know, one, it helps limit or I guess
extend how much time you have between you know that
that AFC Championship game loss and now or when you're reporting.
It gives you a little bit more to your off season.
But also it you know, maybe shrinks how long of
a grind you're going to have this upcoming season where
(25:52):
you know everyone if everyone else is reporting a month
sooner and has a month less of their break. You know,
they're going to have a month less tread on their
tires too when it's coming to our or yeah, a
month less tread on their tires too when it's coming
to you know, January, and those those final days of
the season in January and February, which is where the
Broncos want to play. They're hoping to play a full,
(26:15):
you know what, five month long season. They're not looking
to go home at the start of January, like you know,
more than half the teams in the league.
Speaker 3 (26:22):
But this plays back into the idea of becoming a
free agent destination where players want.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
To come here. You don't have to recruit them.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
The atmosphere and everything that's happening with the team, it
recruits itself. So if the Broncos go on reporting May four, healthy,
move into the regular season, replicate anything of what they
were able to do in twenty twenty five, other free
agents can say, well, I want to go there because
the organization is going.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
To take care of you.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
Or Eric Ebron had some very interesting accusations to make
about current Colts GM Chris Ballards regarding longtime Colts quarterback
Andrew Luck.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Andrew then decides that he's so tired of he don't
tell nobody this. This is the backstory. He's so tired
of injury and he just doesn't want to do a surgery.
Speaker 6 (27:22):
You know who the man is around there that gets
on everybody's nerves.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
Big drawls over there behind that disc. He tells Andrew
this is word, bro. He tells Andrew, you're either playing
this year or we're moving on. Who the fuck would
tell Andrew Luck that? Right? Andrew Luck now says, I'm
(27:49):
not gonna be ready. I'm tired of play with Payne,
I retire.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
I've got to cut out part of that live. Basically,
he said that Chris Baal gave Andrew Luck an ultimatum
between either you know, recovering longer from the injury, and
if that was the case, if they couldn't rely on
him to be healthiest, as Ballard was more or less
putting it, per Ebron, they they would have to move
(28:16):
on from him. And you know, if Andrew Luck would
maybe forego some of that rehab time and show up,
they could keep playing with Andrew Luck. Andrew Luck wasn't
willing to do that. And the Colts and as a result,
chose to retire. This seemingly blames Chris Ballard for lux retirement.
Do you think that should heat up the seat on
Chris Ballard at all?
Speaker 3 (28:37):
Well, yeah, of course when you have Andrew Luck who
came in and he was supposed to be the airparent
who Payton Manning, obviously he was going to take him
a lot to duplicate it. But I remember watching the
football game and I think Adam Schefter might have tweeted
it out that Andrew Luck was going to retire and
everyone was like, Hey, the game's not even over, so
(28:58):
how does he know that? But to force a quarterback
out and put a player in that type of situation
knowing he is your quarterback, and how turbulent the things
have been for the Colts even before Haydon even got there.
I remember growing up watching Jeff George. He had a
monster arm, but I mean he didn't really play too
well and he didn't lead the Colts to where they
(29:19):
needed to go to. But to me, you don't want
to put player in that tough situation. And good on
Andrew Luck, because Andrew Luck did something that most players
can't do. Decide you know what, I'm out. I got
enough cash, I got enough dough. I'm out. But to
make a guy decide between his health and playing for
the team. And look, I'm all about loyalty, but you
got to be loyal to you and your family.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
So good on Andrew Luck five.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
Travon Walker and the Jags agreed to a four year,
one hundred and ten million dollar deal today.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
What do you make of that deal?
Speaker 2 (29:50):
And do you think the cements that Aiden Hutchinson would
have been the right picket number one that year?
Speaker 3 (29:55):
You know, I don't want to say that Hutcherson would
have been number one pick, but I would say that
this moves the go posts as far as as Rush
is getting paid.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
It changes a lot.
Speaker 3 (30:07):
As far as how teams navigate and move from this standpoint.
But I also say this, man, I'm not happy for
anyone who gets the bag. I know you are not
happy for people who gets the bag, but I am,
for one.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
I'm happy for people to get the bag. Six years.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
We run through these last ones quickly. Lamar Jackson total reporters.
He definitely wants Jadevian Clowney back on the Baltimore Ravens.
Do you think Clowney makes sense for the Ravens as
they push their chips in for a Super Bowl this year.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
Well, he makes sense for the idea of adding depth
to the team and his experience and it helps win
the franchise quarterback just kind of goes out on the
limb and you know, kind of calls you out by
name and say, hey, listen, we can really use this guy.
And j David Clowney is not the same guy he
was when he first came out of South Carolina, but
surrounded by the right pieces, especially that Baltimore defense, and
(31:01):
you got Trey Henderson there. So with teams looking at
double Trey Henderson, that means there's going to be singles
across the field and Jadevid Clowney could be one of
the guys that capitalize off that.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
So it could work out for him. Yeah, I think
that's a great point. And you need, you know, someone
who's a little more stout to compliment Trey Henderson, who's
a great pass rusher, doesn't offer you a ton against
the run. Clowney's maybe not the best pass rusher at
this point in his career, but he is a big, physical,
strong edge who can set that edge for you, help
you defend the run and maybe remedy that problem for
(31:35):
the Ravens. He also is familiar with this defense.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
And if I'm not mistaken, and I think Jadavion Clowney
was with the Houston Texans when Anthony Weaver was there
at the time, who's now the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
That would man, there's a lot of connections there, saying
I think he would have also been there in Baltimore
the last time Jesse Mentor was in Baltimore as a
defensive assistant, So lots of connective tissue. I think Lamar
might get his wish on this one.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Well, here's what I do know.
Speaker 3 (32:06):
People get a lot of jobs when there's a familiarity
with an individual. So it seemed like to be a
lot of familiarity there. So what's the worst that can happen?
Speaker 1 (32:15):
Absolutely? Do you think this is? Dear the Ravens finally
get over the.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
Hump, woo finally. M you know what, I'm not sure.
I think they'll get closed. They're gonna be competitive, but
I just feel as though you never know at the
end of the season due to injuries.
Speaker 1 (32:31):
But I would like to see Baltimore get there.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Yeah, it would be great to see. You know, obviously
you want the Broncos in there. But if not the Broncos,
you know one of these other AFC teams that has
yet to get.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
Over the hump.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
Not not the Patriots or the Chiefs, not the dynasties
of this twenty first century. It'd be nice to get
some fresh blood in that Super Bowl. Hey, listen, take
advantage of where you can.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
Why the Chiefs are down, because it's not gonna last
too long.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
I'm just saying.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
And it's not often you see a first year head
coach win the Super Bowl. It's happened before, but it's
not super That's something the Mike mcdanield was second year,
Mike McDonald was second year. Yes, but it's not something
you see all that often. So I think, you know,
this might be a chance where if you got the
Ravens dealing with that, Bill's dealing with that Chief's got
(33:15):
the Mahomes thing, maybe maybe the Broncos can get over
the top.
Speaker 1 (33:18):
Amen, shoot your shot, Shoot your shot. What a pleasure
doing this with you.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
Nick, Have a great rest of your weekend, man, And
we got more Broncos Country tonight coming up after this
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