07-23-25 Hour 2 of Broncos Country Tonight

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Go back to it.

Speaker 2 (00:00):
Broncos Country Tonight. It's been all breading Ferguson grat Smith
here with you. Five six six nine zero is the
text line. Thanks to Steve Atwater for joining us in
the last hour. You miss take part of that can
go to Broncos Country Tonight dot com, slash podcast work.
We've each a podcast Apple iTunes, Spotify, the free and
redesigned iHeartRadio app where you can get to take it
for granted podcast as well. When mustache Mangratsmith back there

(00:21):
decides to actually do one. You got rid of the
beard so the mustache is more pronounced. Yeah, just clean
it up a little bit and just say it's popping
more today. Just saym uh five six six nine zero.
I want to get to you guys. Questions and and
everything ans. We've got Sean Keeler coming up top of
the next hour. Chance Delvin some things with him. We

(00:42):
got the NFL six pack coming in the next.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
Hour as well.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
Guys, we all remember that one teacher who made a difference,
who believes in us challenged just uh just made learning fun.
Now's your chance to say thank you with Iheartradios, thank
a teacher.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
It's powered my daughter's choose.

Speaker 2 (00:57):
Nominate now standing public school teacher who's gone a bu
and beyond for their students to win five thousand dollars
to stock their classroom. You guys can dominate your favorite
teacher now at iHeartRadio dot com.

Speaker 1 (01:07):
Slash teachers.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
Say, what we need to do is get a coaching
thing going there too, his teachers nominate some coaches.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
Teachers nominating coaches.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
No, I'm saying we need to nominate some some coaches here.
So who we think were the outstanding coaches for the
Broncos last year. I know you're a big fan of
Vance Joseph what he's done, and I am too, But
who else who's been a position coach?

Speaker 1 (01:29):
It's really popped out at you.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
It's don a great job on this Broncos team over
the last couple of years.

Speaker 1 (01:34):
I think he's d line coach coach.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
Bin, Yeah, I think you gotta. I think you definitely
got to go there.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
Yeah, he's done.

Speaker 3 (01:41):
I held a job with that with that group, and
you just look at the development of Jonah Ellis and
some of those other guys and how Jonathan Cooper came along.
So yeah, well, here's the thing about it. When you
go into coaching, it takes like like they said when
I was growing up, takes a village to.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
Raise a kid. The team has been successful, a position
group has been successful. Is not just one person.

Speaker 3 (02:06):
Well, when it comes to the support staff, those guys
don't get a lot of the validatia. You don't see
those guys at the podium right they're walking into practice,
you know, me talking to the head coach, the quarterback,
maybe the starting safety, and the coordinators. But you're not
talking to those guys who aren't intricate parts, intricate parts

(02:30):
of the team or position group playing their best.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
Yeah, I would say, uh, you know, you gotta look
at the linebackers.

Speaker 1 (02:37):
Coaches.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
We had Singleton and Sterrenaigo down last year. We still
saw Courdy Barton ball out there at the inside backer position.
I would say, the defensive line, you obviously hit on
that one. Who was that coach?

Speaker 1 (02:48):
Was that Jamar Cain?

Speaker 2 (02:50):
You know those definitely got to be in their Zac
streef on the old line, those guys and you know,
maybe Kerry Colbert at the wide receiver position not getting
the maybe the love, you know, as far as that goes,
We've had some assistant coaches move on obviously. Declan Doyle
is now the offensive coordinator with the Chicago Bears under
Ben Johnson. Was the tight ends coach previously. So we've had,
you know, we've got some guys move on as well.
I thought I've done done fairly well. But I'm always

(03:12):
I'm always curious as to what assistant coaches maybe we
don't quite give enough love to.

Speaker 1 (03:19):
Is Jamar King? Yeah, yes, correction, Yes.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
We would call him bane because he reminds you of
you know, Batman, Bill, break you back if you Josie Jewel, Yes,
cut by the Carolina Panthers.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
I talked to some people.

Speaker 2 (03:33):
Down there today, and I think he could be back
there in Carolina.

Speaker 3 (03:37):
I think, so okay, so why even cut him? To me,
why can't you put him on a pup?

Speaker 1 (03:44):
Uh? You could?

Speaker 2 (03:45):
I from what I understand, And and this is just
one person I've not talked to. This person is not
a decision maker, but they are on the staff there
in Carolina. From what I understand, they wanted him to
be able to do his reha because he's he's having
a concussion symptom. They wanted him to be able to
do his stuff independent of what they have to do

(04:05):
in a way, you know, and all that kind of stuff.
So that was part of the deal, Like they're just
letting him out. They pay him all for the injury
guarantee and all that kind of stuff, and he can
you know, do sensory deprivation therapy for this without having
to be around or be in for certain things or
be around anything like that. But you still can do
that and not release the guy sort of, but you
have there are certain things that think you have to do,

(04:25):
like you have to show up to report for stuff,
and they want him like in a dark room for
you know, as long as possible with no sound, all
that kind of stuff. Like that's the biggest thing for
Center for Concussions these days, is this sensory deprivation stuff.

Speaker 3 (04:36):
See this sounds more destrimental than the original reports because
to be placed in a room where it's start because
you maybe you might experience light, sensitivity, sound, all of those.
I have a former teammate who dealt with that and

(04:58):
is dealing with that for for years, and just being
around him, you have to be quiet and self spoken
and too much like and impact him. To me that
that's going down a really difficult role, and I got
a chance to know Josie in his time here. Really
cool guy, family guy. You hate to see any player

(05:20):
kind of going through this type of ordeal, but this
is kind of one of those side effects of you know,
playing the sport, whether you play offensive defense.

Speaker 1 (05:31):
Yeah, and it's I mean, it wasn't.

Speaker 2 (05:33):
It wasn't a situation where you're getting rid of a
veteran to get an up and coming rookie year. Trevin
Wallace wasn't very good last year for Carolina. He put
up some some decent stats with you know, with tackles
and stuff like that, but the reality is when they
threw at that guy, he was a.

Speaker 1 (05:45):
Liability in pass coverage.

Speaker 2 (05:47):
So this really is about Josie, like getting him healthy,
getting him you know whatever, and going from there. And
we always, I mean, I think everybody who ever met
Josi Jewel wishes in the best. He was great working
with him from the media side of the house, because
he isn't the guy who's just going to give you
problem quotes like he would give you he would give
you good quotes. He would give you funny he would

(06:07):
give you a funny anecdote or give you give you
something good it was always a pleasure to work with him,
you know when we did, and he had no problem
giving you something funny that you could actually use instead
of you know, we're just going out and give it
one hundred and ten percent. I'll let you know the
usual usual stuff. So he was he was great to
work with from our from our side of the house,
and we're obviously wishing him the best and recovering from

(06:27):
from these concussion like symptoms that he's dealing with at
this point.

Speaker 3 (06:31):
Well, what this puts a perspective is the reality of
what comes along with the game. You hope that it's
never you, but you know there's a chance that it
could be you at any particular point. And I just
hope during this process he's able to get whatever treatment

(06:54):
he needs to help getting back on the field. Because
regardless of what you think about Josie and what you
thought about him as a Broncos player, I think everyone
should definitely have that opportunity. It's something I wish that
most people had an opportunity experience being able to come
out a football tunnel and you got sixty to eighty
thousand people screaming your name, you make a play and

(07:18):
you see and feel what that's like.

Speaker 1 (07:20):
I wish that for everyone.

Speaker 3 (07:21):
Because it's an extraordinary feeling. And as a player, we
all know that at some point or another, things are
going to come to an end, but you wish that
you can dictate that.

Speaker 1 (07:35):
In this case, you really can't.

Speaker 3 (07:37):
And for him to be in a difficult situation like
this not knowing, Okay, well, if you would bounce back
from it, how you would bounce back from it? And
if he was blessed, which I hope that he is,
how does that impact him moving forward? Because other I
don't know how how long was this deal with Carolina?

Speaker 1 (07:55):
Was it like a two year, three.

Speaker 3 (07:56):
Year deal something like that, because I'm thinking, say it
was a two year deal. He comes back and he plays.
He may not be his old self, but he's still
very productive. That's going to impact him on the next
his next contract, because team's going to look at that
right away and say, wait a minute, man, you took
some time off from Carolina because of these concussions.

Speaker 2 (08:18):
He would have been going into year two of a
three year deal. It was a three year, eighteen point
seventy five million dollar deal.

Speaker 1 (08:26):
Yeah, man, I hate that for him.

Speaker 3 (08:28):
But Josie and I would hate that for any player
because I mean, you love football like and listen, you
could be a musician and sometimes you say you lose
your voice and you can't sing. That could be traumatizing
for an individual.

Speaker 2 (08:47):
Yeah, yeah, and you know at that moment where you're
cut off from doing the thing that you love. And
I think they're from my opinion, I mean, I get
it if you're trying to remove him from certain in
vironments that would hinder his recovery. But at the other time,
you lose that support and connection to your you know,
your teammate, your brother, and that is a bigger issue. Yeah,

(09:09):
that's the thing. I mean, Josie's made good money. He's
made twenty four million dollars since he's been in the league,
twenty five million dollars, keep me twenty six million dollars
since he's been in the league. But you know, I mean, yeah,
getting cut off from your brother, it's one of those things.
It's interesting to me because I oftentimes i'll I'll talk
about military and and and applying that to some of
the football world because there's a lot of overlap. A
lot of the great football coaches came out of military

(09:30):
back there's a lot of overlat's all that, but there's
also that that locker room camaraderie that is pret to
core that whatever the guys you know in the same
unit have versus the locker room and all that, and yeah,
when you're out and then all of a sudden, you
don't have that same you know that that same what
am I looking for here? Safety net? I guess of
your brothers, you know, your brothers in arms, whether that's military,

(09:52):
whether it's football, whatever, you don't have that same that
same group right there to support you. And you can
a lot of guys with PTSD a lot of that
that time. That's where that manifests is because you're sitting
there alone, cut off from the thing you used to do,
you used to get validation from that. You're sitting there
at fort living room, you don't doing nothing, and that's
where that stuff matfestterself. So I could definitely understand from
that perspective, like you know, and that's the first thing

(10:13):
I worried about what I saw Josey was kind of like, Okay,
he's cut with the contustent systems. I sort of get
the medical treatment side of this, but the other side
of this is you're kind of cut off from guys
you used to rely on for your day to day existence.

Speaker 1 (10:23):
Dude, let me let me tell you.

Speaker 3 (10:24):
I talked to kJ Hamler about this when he was
here with the Broncos, and he and I had a
very serious conversation because we both went through the same thing.
When you get injured, it's almost like you have some
kind of leprosy or some kind of disease that the
coaches staff doesn't want anyone.

Speaker 1 (10:43):
Else to catch.

Speaker 3 (10:43):
But it's part of the game and you have to
come into the building before everyone else is here. By
the time you finish with your rehab practices at starting
you're getting ready to go home. There's no connections with
the team. You're not sitting in the meeting, so you're like, well,
I'm part of the team, but i'm not. And then
you are forgotten or you feel forgotten and you go

(11:04):
down a dark path. And the same thing happened to
kJ happened to me. kJ lost his grandmother during the
time he was rehabbing. For me, we lost Dan Williams.
So the mental battle of losing a teammate plus trying
to fight back to reclaim your job and your status
was important, and you started to realize that, I mean,

(11:25):
life goes on, people continue to move on and whether
you hurt or not.

Speaker 2 (11:29):
And sometimes you don't get the opportunity to come back
and showcase what you I mean. Dayshon Hamilton, remember that,
yes you know Hamilton. It was released by the Broncos.
The Texans brought him in for a cup of coffee
and then he was gone. A couple of weeks later,
the Dolphins signed him to their practice squad for a
couple of weeks and that was it.

Speaker 1 (11:44):
Like Gus Deyshawn never came back in, was never in
the league again.

Speaker 2 (11:47):
He was a guy who had you know, eight hundred
and something receiving yards and then five six touchdowns with
the Broncos.

Speaker 3 (11:52):
And this is why when I think about Tom Brady's story,
how he came into the league, how long he played,
and how he re injured himself fighting to come back
from an injury, because he realized that's the way that
he got his starting job. When Drew Blustoll got injured,
it was no different when when I got injured. I'm like, man,
you giving me eight to nine months of recovery time,

(12:14):
I'm doing it at six and it's like, no, no.

Speaker 1 (12:17):
Nick, don't push yourself. You're gonna forget about it. So
it's Nick, don't worry about it. You know when you
come back. You come back, when you come back, and
it's just like, oh, hell.

Speaker 2 (12:26):
No, yeah, because when I come back, you got somebody
else sitting my job.

Speaker 3 (12:29):
I don't have time to wait for that, So I'm
going to push my body to the brink of collapse
trying to get back. And these are the aspects of
what it's like to be a professional athlete. And I
can only, I mean think that it is ten twenty
times worse for someone in the military, right because we're
talking about achilles sprained ankles. And I'm not saying these

(12:52):
are these are jokes, something to play with, but you
get those in the military too, right, But in the
military it's more traumatic.

Speaker 1 (12:59):
And to know that you were.

Speaker 3 (13:01):
Far removed from your support group, you're isolated, you by yourself,
and how difficult that can be for you. Like with Josie,
that's going to be the biggest fight. I mean, we
could talk about how much money he made, but being
able to fight for something that you dreamed, you dreamt
of playing it was there and now because of the

(13:24):
effects of the game. It could be taken away and
now you're isolated.

Speaker 1 (13:28):
Yeah, your support system has gone too.

Speaker 2 (13:29):
It's not just that you're hurt and your body is
I don't want to say betrayed you, but in a way, right,
in a way, your body can't do the things that
you expected.

Speaker 3 (13:36):
That's the perfect way to say it. Your body has
betrayed you.

Speaker 2 (13:39):
And so and you got that, and then all of
a sudden, the people you would turn to for support
the same people in those locker rooms if you were
going something that maybe mentally, you going something that you
would bounce it off of.

Speaker 1 (13:48):
Now all of a sudden, you're not allowed in that
locker room.

Speaker 3 (13:50):
And this is why I was a little upset at
the idea that he was released, and I thought, okay, well,
you can keep them on the pup for at least
six weeks, and then you got to make it this
at least keep him around the building, keep his mind,
because you're saying, if he's having issues with concussions, you
want to keep his mind sharp. You want to make
sure it's not thinking about other things and how bad

(14:11):
life can be afterwards. No, we want to keep you upbeat,
that's why I wish they kept him around and.

Speaker 1 (14:16):
kJ kJ had that all right.

Speaker 2 (14:18):
I think he spoke on that a little bit about
some thoughts that he had, and you know, he was
in the car and almost been let me.

Speaker 3 (14:23):
Tell you, Yeah, and this is why kJ and I
could relate. Becomes really dark.

Speaker 2 (14:29):
Yeah, get to places you don't want to and that
support system becomes.

Speaker 1 (14:32):
And then it becomes dark and you feel alone. Right. So,
I'm sure there's a lot of people out.

Speaker 3 (14:39):
There who have been in situations like that, may not
be football wise going through it right now.

Speaker 1 (14:45):
The idea is, man, keep your group around.

Speaker 2 (14:47):
You, keep your group around and speak of you, say
something you always know we're here for you here at
Broncos Country A nine five six six nine zeros text line.

Speaker 1 (14:53):
You ever going through something, man, just shoot us a text.

Speaker 2 (14:54):
We love talking to you, guys, and we want you
to know you're valued as a listener is as much
as we value you. Guys. Bring us into your homes
to listen to us. We got hit a little bit
of a break. We'll be back after this. Sixty six
nine zero is the text line. Thanks to Steve Atwater
for joining us in the first hour and Sean Kiler

(15:16):
going to join us in the next segment. Get a
chance to talk a little bit about to see you
the album's down there at the Bucks camp today watching Shiloh, Yes.

Speaker 1 (15:26):
So good for good for him, get a chance to
go see you.

Speaker 2 (15:28):
Won't get to see his sons obviously during the season,
you know, because he'll be coaching.

Speaker 1 (15:33):
To see you, boss, but good for you.

Speaker 2 (15:34):
Get a chance to get down here and see him
in and camp.

Speaker 1 (15:37):
Yeah, get a little faith time down there for sure.

Speaker 3 (15:41):
This offseason, I had a chance to go down and
visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and saw Shador on Nador
but shallow, and he seemed like he was fitting in
pretty well. I mean, obviously there are a couple of
guys that are in front of him, but you know,
smart guy knows what's going on. And it helps to have,

(16:03):
you know, a Hall of Fame dan like Dion Sanders
to come down to the practice to kind.

Speaker 1 (16:07):
Of get you a little motivated.

Speaker 3 (16:09):
Obviously, also what it's going to do to as well,
It should motivate your the teammates who you're competing with,
because they want to show off in front of a
guy who's a Hall of Famer.

Speaker 2 (16:18):
All right, So yeah, I mean, you know, what better
chance to show off in front of Deon Sanders. You know,
as far as that kind of stuff goes. The Bucks
defense is interesting still. We have one player on there
that's new, the starting uh uh, the starting eleven has
one player, Hassan Redick. The rest of that defense is
exactly just returning everybody that they that they had. Shiloh's
got it uphill battle to make that roster.

Speaker 1 (16:38):
He does, he definitely does. So that'll be. That'll be.

Speaker 2 (16:41):
You get a chance to talk to Sean Quiel though
in the uh in the next segment, to the Bucks
punter former Bronco Riley Dixon.

Speaker 1 (16:49):
Yeah, I saw Riley down there as well.

Speaker 3 (16:51):
Uh looking great, right looking looking uh looking great. To
expect Rilly to uh really still to find their punter position,
and I know, look, every player would like to stay
with their prior team, but.

Speaker 1 (17:06):
That's not how things work out.

Speaker 3 (17:08):
And I mean, right now, he's in a better place
and the Broncos have his replacement.

Speaker 2 (17:13):
They do, and it looks like he's gonna be the
guy regardless. Jeremy Crosshaw, obviously the sixth round draft pick
for the Broncos in this past draft, they don't have
any competition for him.

Speaker 1 (17:23):
They're they're just letting the rookie get in there and
do the darn thing. Is that is that good?

Speaker 2 (17:27):
Or you know even punters, do you want to create competition? Well,
I'm gonna go back to uh, this is throwback par sales.
You want competition at every position.

Speaker 3 (17:36):
Because you don't want anyone to settle on restling the
Laurels like, Okay, I got got things made. And obviously
things can change. The team can bring someone else in
compete against him. But when you draft the punter, obviously
you are saying a lot as not saying as though
you're gonna make the team, but knowing as though there's

(17:57):
no other punters in camp. Eyes are definitely on you.
And today he had some boomers. He has some boomers
here the ball coming off his foot. It sounds a
little different. It sounds a little different. Now. He did
have a couple of you know, punts today that were
not great, but you have to expect it. Not every

(18:18):
punt is going to be great. But for me, I
was channeling my inner Mike Westoff because I spent so
many times around Mike, and I remember I was standing
there with Ryan Edwards, and Ryan was talking about old
you know how great of a pun is I'm like yeah,
and then just as that was said, it was one
that was.

Speaker 1 (18:42):
But wait a minute. I mean he came back and
he redeemed hisself.

Speaker 3 (18:46):
He totally redeemed himself, and it was just like, Okay,
well that is what you expected now, being able to
pull that off with pressure coming. So so now if
the group up front can give him time, he can
get off punts like that here. Now, I told Ryan
and uh, I didn't give him everything. I said, Ryan,
there's something that I'm worry about, and I said, I'm

(19:09):
not I'm not gonna tell you will. I'm not giving
it to you for your show. So I bring it
up here. I appreciate that it is the idea of
great hang time, great spiral, and you look at those
end over end type of balls make it really hard.

Speaker 2 (19:22):
To want coming out like an injine star right now.

Speaker 1 (19:25):
The only question is you're gonna get a lot of
hangtime here.

Speaker 3 (19:29):
As a guy that played personal protector and more pontly
portly gunner, you worry about out kick out punting your
coverage because your hanging time is going to be so great,
Will your guys have enough time to get down there?

Speaker 1 (19:44):
Well, that's that's why you want the hangtime.

Speaker 2 (19:45):
The distance is going to be great because it's you know,
we have the thinner air ball's gonna move a little
bit better. But yeah, you're the hangtime portion of it.
You need it to hang in the air so the
guys can get down there.

Speaker 3 (19:53):
But that's kind of one of the things I thought about,
because one he got some hangtime on some of them.
One of them kind of went flats.

Speaker 1 (20:00):
Yeah, you don't want the line drive.

Speaker 3 (20:01):
It just kind of went flat, And I was like,
oh wow, very interesting.

Speaker 1 (20:05):
Then I asked Ryan.

Speaker 3 (20:07):
I said, look, if I told you you have to play,
you play in the NFL for ten years. I just
need you to play the gunner, right, That's all I
need you to do.

Speaker 1 (20:17):
Play gunner? Could you do it? And he was like,
I don't know. I said, you know what, they don't
let you.

Speaker 4 (20:21):
Wear carpenter jeans on the field, right, So I told him,
I said this up to Annie, I said, what if
they put a cheetah behind you to inspire you to
run real fast?

Speaker 1 (20:31):
Could you do it?

Speaker 2 (20:32):
I mean, look, I don't have to be the fastest
guy on the field. I just have to be the
not slowest.

Speaker 1 (20:35):
And that's what I told him.

Speaker 3 (20:36):
I said, Look, all you have to do is beat
those those jammers and get down the field. The chief
is going to take care of the guy who's lagging behind.
You know that's not at least to be a.

Speaker 1 (20:44):
Worried Yeah, that's like the zombie.

Speaker 2 (20:46):
You gotta hord a zombies chasing you and you know
you and your buddy, and your buddy's faster than you.

Speaker 1 (20:49):
Off I shoot him in the leg. He's not faster
than me. I'm not my buddy anymore. But no, in
typically Ryan, there was fashion.

Speaker 3 (20:54):
He said, well, Nick, I know why you selected that position,
of all positions.

Speaker 1 (20:58):
I said why.

Speaker 3 (21:00):
He was like, well, I remember you telling me the
story when you were jammer. How you guys you just
kind of escort guys to the gator.

Speaker 2 (21:07):
Read it's certainly one way to phrase that. And I said,
I said, they might be thirsty. I'm trying to make
sure that.

Speaker 1 (21:14):
I'm trying to make sure they hid you from right
so to right. No, man, I say, look at this face,
but what you do have it? Look billies the violence behind.

Speaker 3 (21:27):
But yeah, man, that the punter, Uh he's great, man.
I can't wait to see the team actually put it,
put it together, and those uh in a squad scrimmages.
One of them is going to take place in San Francisco,
so we would not be privy to that.

Speaker 1 (21:41):
But if I'm not mistaken, the car Cardinals coming here,
that's right.

Speaker 3 (21:44):
So it's gonna be great to see what that's gonna
look like in practice.

Speaker 2 (21:47):
Cardinal's gonna be a good football team this year, by
the way. They gotta they gotta invested on defense. Okay,
when you say good, I think they can.

Speaker 1 (21:53):
Win the division.

Speaker 2 (21:54):
I think it's never the Rams in the NFC West,
Really I do. I believe it's the Rams.

Speaker 3 (21:58):
N I am highly shull because you ain't even missing
the forty nine ers at all.

Speaker 2 (22:03):
I think they're gonna take a step back. I think
they've got problems at receiver. Uh. Both Pearsall and Iuker
on the h are not able to perform. Uh. Kittles
looks like the best, the best they got as far
as that goes, and we'll see. They may be using
maccaffery receiver this year's just based on how about how
now that receiving course struggles and they can't spend the money.

Speaker 1 (22:21):
They're tight now because they had to pay party.

Speaker 3 (22:23):
See, I think you you are underestimating I made that
youth movement on defense.

Speaker 1 (22:29):
Yep, Okay, I get that.

Speaker 2 (22:31):
And I love Robert solid Back as defensive coordator for them.

Speaker 1 (22:34):
Oh, I love that.

Speaker 3 (22:35):
What about the X factor being the play calling of
one Kyle senny Well.

Speaker 1 (22:41):
And I love that for him.

Speaker 2 (22:42):
But I mean, you're counting on Juwan Jennings and DeMarcus
Robinson as your top receivers right now.

Speaker 3 (22:47):
One Jennings has some some moments last seasons.

Speaker 1 (22:50):
He's got a little game to him.

Speaker 2 (22:51):
But DeMarcus Robinson as a starting receivers and Jacob Cowing,
I mean, dude, Russell Gage, like I'm would be, I
would have a serious case of the tight cheeks going
in to a season with those guys potentially as my starter.
You're starting left guard that bartsch Uh is dealing with issues. Uh,
the backup there at the tackles, Andre Dillard is out

(23:12):
with issues, you know, and and Brock Party your one
Brock Party misstep away from starting quarterback Mac Jones?

Speaker 1 (23:20):
Who Mac Jones.

Speaker 2 (23:21):
That that could be a problem on the defensive side
of things. H you're you're Hufanga replacement and Malik Mustafa
is hurt. You know, It's it's just, I mean it
is that defense looks a lot more thin than it
has in recent years. I mean, you still got Fred
Warner out there, and he's still a baller, but a
lot of that stuff you still got most a lot
of that defense looks a lot. You're you're kind of like, Okay,

(23:41):
you paid the quarterback and I see where you had
to skimp.

Speaker 3 (23:44):
Well. I think for from their standpoint is that you
have two proven coaches, you know, and the coaching staff.
Robert did a great job as the defensive coordinator, probably
not so much with as the head coach of the
New York Jets, right, and you think about the brilliance
of Kyle Shanahan finding each in every nugget to make

(24:05):
that offense go. And consider the fact that I remember
when you know, christ McCaffrey was out for a while.
I mean, they've been just back after back and they
would still finding ways to be productive. So with that
in mind, until I see something that's that would suggests otherwise,
I'm gonna say that division is up for grab between

(24:27):
the forty nine ers.

Speaker 1 (24:30):
And to seek see. I think is the worst team
in the division.

Speaker 2 (24:33):
I think you know they they obviously brought to Koobiak
in which by the way, Clay is the title OC
now for the Niners. But they also brought kid Kubiak
over there in the Seahawks to place Ryan Grubb.

Speaker 1 (24:44):
I'm sorry, and I forgot about the Rams too.

Speaker 2 (24:46):
Yeah, I think the Rams are in there the Seahawks. Man,
I think making the switch from Geno Smith to Sam
Darnold and Drew Locke, I think that's a significant Downbrade.
Uh see, okay, up now, and they got lost TK
metcalf and had a Cooper Cup who's clearly lost. Well
he's a baller, but I mean you lost, you lost,

(25:07):
you know, I mean you got him, But you don't
have DK over there drawing double teams like he used to.
Now nobody's double team in Cup. You don't need to anymore.
Scantling has got some speed on the other side, but
he's not the same player that the DK was.

Speaker 3 (25:19):
Yeah, okay, so you say, okay, well, obviously Cooper Cup
is not the same player, and you said, well you won't.

Speaker 1 (25:26):
You wouldn't double him? Probably not.

Speaker 3 (25:28):
Smith and Jigbo are probably going to get that that
double coverage. But it's the idea of what Cooper Cup
has become in the Rams offense, which is a version
of what Koobiak knows.

Speaker 1 (25:41):
Right.

Speaker 3 (25:41):
He knows that because he's gone through that being around
Kyle Shanahan.

Speaker 1 (25:46):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (25:46):
I mean it'll be a possession guy out of the
slot or whatever, all that kind of stuff, and you
hope that he's he's able to be that guy.

Speaker 1 (25:52):
But I mean, I just I don't know, man.

Speaker 2 (25:54):
I like what Michael McDonald did with the defense there,
but I think that offense is taking it down.

Speaker 1 (25:58):
I mean, so think about it.

Speaker 3 (26:01):
Yes, you lost some guys, but you added something in
their mind, says Kobek. Was around Sam Donald when his
time with the forty nine ers. They're quite familiar with
one another. And regardless of what do you think about
Sam Donald, he.

Speaker 4 (26:15):
Had some moments, a lot of great moments he did
with the bottom last year.

Speaker 1 (26:19):
It was a it was a career surgeons for him. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (26:22):
But the Vikings have one thing the Seahawks don't. Some
semblance of an offensive line. Okay, that's where things are different.
This is where coach Madonnald is thinking that he can
make up for that.

Speaker 3 (26:33):
You just.

Speaker 1 (26:35):
Hit the nail on the head. It's the defensive side
of the ball.

Speaker 4 (26:39):
Yeah, I mean, did you have yourself about the thirty
nine ers going young on defense?

Speaker 2 (26:43):
Yeah, the forty nine ers are having to reload. I
mean we were the beneficiaries of that getting Green long Foga.
Here they're having to reload. I mean, there's just there's
there's cap considerations here.

Speaker 3 (26:52):
I just I wouldn't rule out Seattle making a run,
would I wouldn't rule it out.

Speaker 2 (26:57):
I'm just saying I've got a lot of a lot
of faith in Arizona this year.

Speaker 1 (27:00):
I think they're gonna be a lot better than people.

Speaker 2 (27:02):
They got Cotton Hooey on offense, Marvin Harrison's gone for
two five to two twenty at receiver. They got Trey
McBride over there, they got Cottony in, and then they
loaded up on the defensive side of the ball.

Speaker 1 (27:12):
I mean they went out there and got we told
the earlier.

Speaker 2 (27:14):
They got collag his Campbell, they had a Dalvin Towlinson,
they drafted Walter Nolan, they had to keep Davis Gaither
or Josh Sweat. That's just the front seven that they've
added on that. They still got just something about the
car news.

Speaker 4 (27:27):
It just doesn't scream like, yeah, this is a ten
win team.

Speaker 1 (27:31):
It doesn't scream that.

Speaker 2 (27:32):
Maybe maybe you got to see it to believe. We'll
see it off close and personal out here. We'll be
able to see it, you know what. Okay, be able
to see it up close and personal out here.

Speaker 3 (27:37):
So I will I was standing on what I'm standing
on right now. I don't see him as a ten
win team.

Speaker 1 (27:43):
Now.

Speaker 3 (27:43):
Once they come to town and we get a chance
to see them, I'll let you know. You know, Grant,
make sure you timestamp this one or whatever, and I'll
see if I want to change my mind.

Speaker 1 (27:54):
It looks hard at work on doing it, hard work.
I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (27:58):
The Cardinals gonna have a breakout sea this year, and
their defensive coordinator, Nick Ralis will be a name that
people will be talking about for head coaching opportunities.

Speaker 1 (28:06):
Just my just my point, O two.

Speaker 2 (28:08):
Take that how you will leave it, how you will
doesn't does not matter matters not to me, you know,
as far as that goes. But I think that, you know,
I think the NFC West the FC West are interesting
divisions this year. Obviously, we you know, we're keeping close
watch on the AFC West because we've got Broncos, Chargers, Raiders.

Speaker 1 (28:24):
And Chiefs.

Speaker 2 (28:26):
Kansas City thing is interesting to me because they're getting
a lot of receiving talent back.

Speaker 1 (28:29):
They had injuries last year, you.

Speaker 2 (28:30):
Know, suspension with where she Rice Luman over his head,
all that kind of stuff. Kansas City is the interesting
one to meet because Travis Kelsey's not the same player
that he was. He doesn't threaten you with the speed anymore,
but he just has that knowledge for the soft spot
and the scene for the zone to make himself open
and he and Mahomes have that connection. You get Xavier Worthy,
Hollywood brown Back. You know, they've got Juju orsh Rice

(28:53):
to They drafted Jalen Royals out of Utah State. They
got some weapons over there, which is something that last
year they were kind of a short on. And the
offensive line is getting healthier. It's not the same theoretical
problem that it was last year.

Speaker 3 (29:06):
But that's the reason that the Broncos made their picks
through in the draft. More slammed towards defense because Champagne realized, okay,
well bow should project to be much better in the
second year offensively, right, We just have to wait to
see if that's going to come to fruition. But that's

(29:27):
kind of the game plan and idea. So how do
you help them out right? You look at what other
teams could possibly do within a division.

Speaker 1 (29:35):
And knowing as though you need to have.

Speaker 3 (29:38):
A multitude of defenders that you can throw at an
offense like Cincinnati, like Baltimore, like Pittsburgh, and more importantly
like the Chiefs. So that's why the Broncos drafted the
way that they did and having multiple edge rushers, your
guy Quinn Q Robinson, right Robinson, Dondre Hillman, go to Ellis,

(30:01):
all of those guys that are going to be relied
upon at some point of the season.

Speaker 1 (30:07):
And when your number is called, you gotta make plays.
You gotta punch it.

Speaker 2 (30:11):
Interesting thing for Kansas City on the defensive side of
the ball, they return everyone their entire starting defense.

Speaker 1 (30:16):
Carlostis has got paid, Carlottus.

Speaker 2 (30:18):
Got paid, Chris Jones still around, Mike Penel, Mike Dan
and Drew Trankle, Nick Bolton got paid, Leo Chanal. Then
they added Jeff Boston, the linebacker out of Oregon to
speed the linebacker on Orgon.

Speaker 4 (30:27):
It is what I'm hoping, you know, guys play to
get paid. I'm hoping they get fat and happy. Yeah,
I got the money I got, I got paid. Yeah,
And maybe they slowed down just a little.

Speaker 1 (30:39):
Maybe it'd be not I.

Speaker 2 (30:40):
Don't think spect it slowed down a defense gonna let
them slow down. Something to worry about a little bit.
I don't know they're gonna be. This gonna be interesting,
it's gonna be fun. We'll get a chance to get
out Broncos camp, see where they're at. We'll get to
see these other guys preseasons creeping up or eight days
away from a preseason fint.

Speaker 3 (30:54):
This is why it's gonna make it that much better
when the Broncos beat them twice this.

Speaker 1 (30:58):
Year, Well, there's hoping.

Speaker 2 (31:00):
I think that would be the greatest Christmas gift of all. Right,
le Broncos win on Christmas Day, that'd be the Christmas
gift every Broncos fans looking forward. So we come back,
we would talk Sean Killer, switch gears, talk a little
bit of college football. It'll see you get a chance
to do that with Sean Keeler coming up next right here,
a Broncos country tonight