Alec Lewis in studio Draft Day #92Noon!

The Athletic's Alec Lewis is in studio unloading the notebook on bits the Vikings are pondering before tonight's draft!

Episode Transcript

(00:17):
I'm good. I mean, I'mI'm ready for this thing. I slept
terribly last night. I don't knowwhy I care so much. I'm as
an objective journalist, but I thinkyou just feel it from the fans,
like people I was, I almosttweet I gotta get off Twitter, first
of all. Second of all,almost tweeted. I almost tweeted last night,
like if you had a sleep trackeron the Twin Cities, like on

(00:38):
an every night basis over the courseof this year, like last night was
probably the I'm probably the worst.Like I was texting friends. I have
them. I know you. Sometimesyou don't think I do correct yeah,
and and uh and and correct yeahdifferent, yeah, exactly mobile correct for

(01:00):
we were there one minute. Thesefans are I mean, it's it's I
feel for them, really because thisis emotional. But it's interesting what you're
talking about, because in getting toknow you as well as I have,
is when it comes to being right, Okay, you're not breaking blah blah
blahh oh, it went the wrongway, you know, like it was
a B plus source and I feltninety four percent, but I'm gonna go

(01:23):
with it. So there are justso many specifically in this game, the
radio game, or or in themedia game where they get so wound up
over what they put on Twitter,on social media or what they say that
if it's if it's right, thenthere will be a peacock. And if

(01:45):
they're not accurate, well, youknow, then they're going to take it
super personally and you're not that solike then yeah, the anxiousness would be
because you can sense the energy andanticipation in the town is palp. Yeah.
And I just care, I mean, I just care a lot about
it. I've I've I've thought alot about this. Like my dad always

(02:06):
jokes with me, and he's actuallyin Italy right now and he might be
listening from Italy, so it may, but he always jokes with me,
like your your energy usually rise andfalls with like the way the team you're
covering is gone, which is probablynot how it should be. And I
probably shouldn't even say that, butI just should. I just but it
makes it more fun, It makesit easier and or more fun, and

(02:28):
I just view it. It remindsme a lot of times of like as
being a kid and like enjoying sportsthe way that kids do, which is
I think all of us why weget into this because we love it so
much when when we're young. Imean, I care a lot to that
point about being right. Like II if I put something out there,
I want it to be right.But on what the will do. And
this is the reality of the drafttransactions. It's different the draft. There's

(02:52):
just you said subterfuge. But Imean I've had multiple conversations where I'm like,
this is what I hear, thisis what I think. Yeah,
but is it because someone on theother end is strategically making me here and
think that stuff for their benefit.That happens. That's just a part of
it. And so that's what's gonnamake what ends up happening to night so
fascinating to me. Mm hmm.Well, when I say welcome home,

(03:15):
is the amount of words slash paragraphsyou just shared is dramatically greater than the
summit yesterday where they steamrolled you.I mean, Seaford talked dramatically more than
you it it. How'd you feel? I felt totally great about it.
You didn't talk a lot, didn'tneed to talk hardly. Ever, you

(03:37):
don't need to talk a lot.You let when you're in an environment like
that, like this is home.Yeah it is. It is. But
I'm not the sign people. I'mgrateful. I'm grateful honestly. Like and
Seaford and Ben know this. They'vedone this, They've covered this team for
decades. I've done it for twoyears, right, so I I and
I've learned from them. I spentI enjoy these guys like I enjoyed being

(04:00):
around him. I generally believe that. And I know, and it was
cool. It was cool that butyou didn't play fast. You play fast
here every single you weren't playing fast. I was playing a little tentative,
but I was also exhausted. Iwas I think you felt left out.
No, I didn't feel left out. I definitely felt a little. It
just it felt more of an interrogation. I feel, I don't know I
I So you're saying the host didn'tdo a good job of integrating new friends.

(04:25):
He was doing a great job.I felt like, yeah, you
have three people across the table,you got to kick it around. It's
that's a tough around table with threepeople. Now, that's a tough task
there. And I enjoyed it.I enjoyed listening. I thought that I
hope the analysis was good enough.Yeah, but I feel yeah when you
spoke every twenty minutes. So it'sjust great to have you in here.
Okay, love, I don't lovespouting opinions all the time, right,

(04:47):
But that's not the point. Theidentity is the point, and the identity
unprompted by the way, thanks forthe help. With Diana Russini. I
mean she's not only she's not onlyon it. I mean she's super plugged
in senior NFL writer The Athletic TheAthletic dot Com we heard her yesterday.
But she's a spitfire. I meanshe just goes. Yeah. I told,

(05:08):
I told you before you had her, I was like, she's good,
she's fun, she could joke around. And I didn't think she was
gonna throw me out of the busfor sleeping late. He didn't. She
played into the identity, which iswhy I'm saying, welcome home. There's
ya, young Alec. Okay,he sees life through the eyes of a
child, which means he wakes upat eleven, he picks dandelions, and
he chases butterflies. And that iswho you are. She compared to you,

(05:31):
like something like Woodward and Bernstein thing, and I'm like, who are
you? It's funny. I usedto go on the radio in Kansas City
when I covered the Royals, andthe afternoon host there would just pepper me
like it was a like I wasthe GM and we're down to business right
here, and we've been losing.And I just never understand. I like
having fun. It's what makes it'swhat makes the job. Like, I

(05:53):
love talking to the fans, Ilove communicating it's and I love just being
ridiculous because again it's sports. We'renot covering the Nurember Trials. I understand.
So anyway, welcome home. Sorryabout yesterday. It'll get better as
the years go on. What Imean, it may it Drake, it's
Drake. It may Speaking of quarterbacks? Yeah, what what are you feeling

(06:14):
about JJ McCarthy tonight? Say itlike the eleventh overall pick? Yeah?
I mean if he's there that lateand the Vikings can't trade up to number
three, it's it's a sensible thing, you know. I've I've thought a
lot about JJ McCarty. Now,going back aways. When I hosted this
show about three to four weeks ago, I brought up something that an AFC

(06:35):
executive told me at the time,I was Brandon ban Yeah, and I
knew you were going to do that. I was George Payden him say to
me at the time, I've talkedto a ton of people in the business,
scouts and friends that I know,and nobody is telling me that they
have JJ McCarty as the number two, number three pick. He's like,
I can't find people in the businessthat I'm friends with that I know.

(06:58):
It could be, could be likethis guy I've known for years, like
years, so again, and itcould be strategic whatever. But and then
that same day where I brought thatup, I asked Matt Miller of ESPN
their draft analysts, what are theodds J. J. McCarthy goes in
the top ten? And he kindof acted like it was a crazy question,
like, obviously he's going in thetop ten, and so I've just
thought a lot about it in termsof like last year Will Levis, it

(07:21):
was assumed that he was gonna gonumber two, and he was and then
he falls. So if JJ McCarthyMcCarthy ultimately falls to eleven and the Vikings
aren't able to get to number three, then to me, it's a possibility
now it might not have to waituntil eleven. The Vikings could get could
feel some heat from behind, beit Denver specifically, and think, you

(07:43):
know what, let's get to sevenor eight and just make this happen.
The Giants at six are interesting.I from what I know, my inclination
would be that they like Drake May. They don't love JJ McCarthy as much.
So did you see like McCarthy didan interview. Oh it was Rich
Eisen Show, the podcast Sure andBase predicted he goes to the Giants.
I saw that yesterday and he talkedabout the time he's put in there and

(08:05):
day balls, the bomb and theconcepts, and there's a coach on the
staff who was with me and whateveryou know, and they liked the neutral
zone trap in case I need toplay for the Islanders. I mean,
it's just all coming together. Well. I mean, here's the thing too,
I've only done This is my seconddraft that I've ever covered, and
it's the first one that's really relevant. I would say, where the Vikings

(08:28):
are relevant. So every I saidto somebody the other day, everything I've
heard this entire cycle, going backto the combine, I've made note of
it and I may note of whotold me what and the time at which
they told me, because over theyears, the more I do this,
I want to know the people i'mtalking to, how realistic is what they
told me? What did they tellme at certain times, because I think

(08:50):
that's important to go back and reviewit. And the reality is the nature
of this thing is so interesting.I heard an anecdote yesterday from someone in
the business this who has been beenan executive for a long time, said
to me, you know they're Alecthere, Sean Schneider. He said,
Alec, there have been so manyyears where you enter draft day zeroed in
on three players. Wow, andthen you get in the draft room and

(09:13):
hours before other players are now onyour board because owners wanted them, because
the GM threw him up there.And so just the process is absolute mayhem.
There's ego, there's incentives, there'suncertainty, and it creates four obviously
one of the most interesting nights onthe calendar. So it's it's so hard

(09:33):
to really be plugged in and knowwho's being truthful and who's telling you something
for strategic purposes. That's that's reallyinteresting that because I've chatted with him before
but I've never gotten that type ofinformation from Rich mcday, specifically with that
tampering bit hanging over him, andhe could be a traidwall. You guys
love the tampering bit. I mean, oh my god, we're gonna switch

(09:56):
for a No, we don't.I hate the tampering. The tampering bittop.
It's boring. It's like the collectivebargaining integrate. Man, terrible.
I you brought that up. Youhave to because this is your newsy journalist
nine to Yeah, you're right.That's how I always viewed. It's it's
hard news. It's journalistic. Yes, smile. Yeah in the marriage you
see that smile on his face.Welcome home. No, I I all

(10:18):
serious, because I'm on the airright now and I'm just going to give
you what I know at this verymoment. My my, My impression right
now is that the preference would beto trade to three and Drake may would
be the preference, or you stickaround eleven and maybe that ends up being
five, seven, eight, tenand you find a JJ McCarthy. Now,
if others are sniping in front ofyou, then then that's where I

(10:41):
go to Michael Pennox. But tome, those first two options around eleven
for McCarthy is what I would expectif it's not a Drake May. But
they have to be careful because again, Denver, as you've mentioned a lot
on this air, I really thinkthey're in on JJ McCarthy friendship. They
would make yes over it's terrible.Yeah, no it is, and it's
ridiculous. Yeah, but anyway thatthat story will be told in time.

(11:05):
Sure, Ali lewis the Athletic Theathleticdot com nine to noon. He's he's
come home to the love Govenant,stable, gets to talk, gets to
share opinions, not steamrolled, butfellow scribes and hosts. And this is
your dandelion picking and butterfly chasing leaderthe fan in kf an dot com.

(11:26):
If I'm if I'm the Minnesota Vikings, and this is not off steam.
This is like I said this morningon the Power Trip that I would say
to New England, here if they'reinterested in three and I don't really have
any reason to believe they're not here. Here, here's the comperence. It's
these three first round picks, andthat's it. That is it? Okay,

(11:46):
So go ahead and flinch, goahead and roll You're not going to
use May and everybody knows it.So have fun with Ja Kobe and not
being able to pick a defensive player, by the way, for your defensive
minded head coach for twenty four hoursat least. Go ahead. Not fun,
but that's it. Three first roundpicks, we get that spot that
saddled. I don't know if that'sgonna be enough, but I am with

(12:09):
you completely in the sense. AndI just told Sauce this and back in
the back hallways, and it's beentweeted since you told them. I hope
not tell. I said please.But like the Patriots situation is to me
a mirror image of the Panthers lastyear. You have a first year I

(12:30):
mean, I guess Frank Craik hadbeen a head coach. If you have
a first year head coach, youhave a first year offensive coordinator who's never
schemed, schemed offense, never stoodin front of the room, never installed
plays. You have terrible skill players, you have a terrible offensive line.
To throw a quarterback into that environmentand think it's just gonna go magically,
in fact, it might ruin thequarterback's future, to me, would be
an irrational move by the Patriots leadership, now, would they make an irrational

(12:58):
move potentially because their ownership is inRobert Craft older and cares about legacy and
the sun. Jonathan Craft is alsoprobably very interested in making his stamp on
this team and so well. Andyou talk to people in the league,
they're like, if a quarterback goesthere, I mean, good luck.
Frankly, how is Troy Vincent?I haven't chatted with him in a while.

(13:20):
Norton was liking this, but I'vebeen on the phone a lot and
you just asked these questions, likewhat do you think about throwing a quarterback
in that environment? And the answeris similar every time. It's like,
I would wish that agent and thatquarterback well, because it'd be so in
that case. If you're the Patriotsand you have so much to build,
why not recoup assets and then maybethey can find JJ McCarthy as well at

(13:43):
five at six later than that,that's where the three first round pick offer.
If the Vikings were willing to dothat, and I'm not totally sure
that they would be, but toget Drake May at three, I think
you would have to be willing todo that. If the Patriots don't think
about that. To me, they'renot thinking long term and they're acting irrationally
in the short term. A rookiequarterback is his unknown talent at this level.

(14:07):
Okay, So I'm going to bemaster of the obvious here for a
second. To get to a point. So if you take Drake May,
JJ McCarthy, whomever, Drake Maythe North Carolina quarterback, So let's start
there. You, no matter whatJosh McCown tells you, he was like
pre pubescent, no matter what yousaw on film in North Carolina, no

(14:28):
matter how bad his offensive line was, didn't have a team Nicks, didn't
have anything close. But you lovehim, and so therefore it's the metaphorical
clay that we can mold. That'sfine, that's great. But they're like,
if you like with Cousins for Atlanta, Okay, that's proven commodity.

(14:48):
So is it going to be withDrake London, Kyle Pitts and whomever else?
Off the play action to bijon whatit was like here in twenty twenty
two, part of twenty twenty three, Well, you can't say that,
but you can say, you know, if it completely falls off in his
completion percentage, it's fifty five andand the interceptions to touchdowns or two to
one, the that's not happening.See so therefore you can formulate a conclusive

(15:13):
opinion off off facts that you haveseen. That's not the case with the
quarterback, specifically one who's probably notgoing to play this year or may play
at times given the circumstances. Here'sthe point is is you know the general
manager quasiadopha mensa you know, willremind us frequently that he comes from a

(15:35):
stock creating background. Well, Imean getting into your four oh one k,
your wroth and all the assets thatyou have accrued and or amassed for
a signature investment, generally speaking doesnot go the way of faith hashtag faith.
Yeah we like him, Yeah weknow he likes him, and yeah

(15:56):
we know we saw this. Yeahwe also know he's not to play for
a while and KOC may love himinside out, but it is not Generally
the stock world does not go thatway. And I'm not big stock guy,
but I know enough about it toknow if if ya inc Is at
ten and it goes down to threeand you have steam that it's going that

(16:18):
something's going to happen, well youget in and there it goes up to
eighteen hopefully, where where this isa we are paying this which is exponential,
and there is whether they want toconcede it or not. There is
a hashtag faith side of it,no question. Well that's that's that's if
your background is that of it's predicatedon getting the value your way, and

(16:47):
also by buying something at a certainmargin or a certain number that you know
is going to blow up and maybesplit. You can't say that with a
rookie quarterback. So here's what Iwould say, and I laugh at this.
I was thinking about this last nightbecause people, a lot of Vikings
fans, I don't want to giveup the future pick. But you're assuming

(17:10):
that that pick is going to bea hit. What are the odds that
pick's going to be a hit?What if it ends up being a Lewis
scene? So if it's like,well, you can't assume that future pick's
going to one hundred percent matter orplay any impact at all, why don't
we operate for this one pick thatis as important, it's more important than

(17:30):
any other position. And the evaluationis done by the person and people we
trust most within the organization. Sothere is an uncertain aspect to it.
This is why I laugh some peopleand I completely agree. If Kevin O'Connell
and Josh McCown believe in a certainplayer, go get them. But let's
be very clear when we say that, even if they believe in a certain
player, the odds that it worksout not a given. So it's a

(17:53):
very uncertain process. But I justsaying it's antithetical to the way stock the
way brokers or whatever operate in thestock world. Yes, which is why
I think they would have a whichit's why I think Craycy would have a
price tag that he's not going over. But ultimately, as he said,
quarterback is where you build in someirrationality, you build in some risk because

(18:17):
of how much it can It canexponentially change your future as an organization.
The other thing is this in astock portfolio, you have it, you
assume to have it for twenty years. Kraaycy Adolpha Mens is in his third
year as a general manager. Youdon't know how many years you got,
So this is kind of like,I mean, probably throw your you got
to make your investment random bean thingyou'd dropped a month and a half ago,

(18:40):
about Josh Allen. Yes, noquestion, And it worked out for
Brandon Bean and and and Josh Allen, and that's great. But yeah,
I just I think it is misguidedsometimes when I hear fans say like,
I don't want to give up thismany picks or future picks because you're assuming
in that regard that those picks workout when this regime specific your draft picks
in the last couple of years.Yeah, I don't think you're going to

(19:02):
assume any that anybody's gonna work out. So that's what I would say to
that. Welcome home to the Covenant. Thus the metaphorical red carpet outside of
the studio, Thank you. Iappreciate that homemade meat loaf with that includes
bacon and buttercostume. I don't likemeat loaf, That's why we put the
bacon and the buttercost cheese, andI like bacon and a homemade apple pie
for you. That's nice. Sowe welcome you home, and we have

(19:23):
much more about which to chat.But first we're going to go over there
the fan along with big deck dotCom, they want to give you a
chance to put a grand in yourhand with the National Cash Contest. This
hour's keyword is grand, so youmight win a grand with the keyword grand
at KFE and dot good music righthere, if if KOC. We'll see

(19:59):
now as mentioned earlier in the week, and a lot of people who listened
to nine to Noon or a followsports and or the Draft that they've either
heard about it or seen it.But now the steam rolling is you're talking
about the anticipation and or level ofanxiety of fans wondering what's going to happen.
And I agree with you. Imean, it's it's the thickest,

(20:21):
richest and most palpable since I gotto this market in nineteen ninety eight.
I'm not coming. And they tookMoss in ninety eight, but I don't
think a lot of people saw Mosscoming in ninety eight. They took Percy
in the twenties in O nine,A lot of people didn't see that coming.
With all due respect to the guys, like you know, when they
picked relatively high Trey Wayn's connects you, Judas, Erasmus James. I mean

(20:45):
it's like you know, crickets calledand James, the last edge rusher they
took in the first round could beI mean it was the picks to a
certain extent, Troy Williamson, youknow, a correction for the moss for
the most trader or what was nextwith him? I mean it wasn't.
It wasn't like you know, weit's not a quarterback. Okay. So
you're right about about just how thickand uh and interesting it is right now.

(21:11):
You know, I'm just wondering whatthe reaction at the stadium is going
to be this evening. See you'llbe you'll be in your super special cubicle
at the Twin Cities Orthopedic Performance Center. You think it's pizza or tacos tonight,
pizza Tacos And I would say there, no, no, no,
no, no one or the other. But there's also a low odds percentage.
The odds are climbing on high vChinese. That's that's that that was.

(21:36):
I believe last year we had somefridays what our speedway Takeito is not
available? Yeah, or maybe thethe blueberry donuts from Quick Trip Ivy Chinese
is very good. It's pretty good. The but you know, Sam Newton
makes a wonderful Keisha array. SamNewton's in Detroit. Oh he is oh

(21:56):
yeah, oh, that's sneaky,sucker. He didn't tell me because oh
wow, well that'd be a lotof fun. Congratulations, But you're right.
I'm just wondering with five, six, seven, whatever thousands are going
to be at the stadium tonight andwe have a draft show starting at six
thirty, just wondering what the reactionis going to be if there is not

(22:18):
a quarterback taken by the Minnesota Vikings, like before pick eleven or at eleven.
I mean, I'm not saying it'sgoing to be in a rut,
so, like, do you thinkit's Is it the worst case scenario for
them as an organization, a footballclub looking to show a profit and win
a lot of games, and fora fan base, worst case scenario they

(22:41):
leave today and don't have a quarterbackperiod. Yeah, I just don't see
that happening at all. If tonightends and there's no quarterback on the Minnesota
Vikings roster that is not named SamDarnold, Nick Mullins or Jared Hall,
I'd be blown away, right andreally, yeah, I just would.
I just there's no way. Well, it's panic if you take Panics Junior

(23:04):
at eleven, I don't I thereare a lot of people in the bid.
You guys, you guys, anda lot of people have that narrative,
and you talk to a lot ofpeople within the game who have Panis
ahead of J. J. McCarthy. Yeah, I'm I shouldn't say now.
People, I've had a lot offriends fans, they're like, Pinis,
Oh my god, freaking out aboutit. I'm telling you, there's

(23:26):
reason to be there's reason to be, like, well, the injury history.
That no, no, it's notjust well the injury history. There
are teams that have red dots nextto him and he's not draftable. They
deem him not draftable. It mightsure, but I I've had a lot
of conversations with people who literally thinkhe's better than they think he's on the
same plane. They have him rankedahead. I know multiple teams picking in

(23:49):
the in the teens that believe thathe they would have him on their board
ahead of JJ McCarty. Eleven iswrong because I happen to believe he's going
to go in the mid teens.I think it's settling though, or I
can't. I can't say that untilsomebody who knows more about it. You
just don't know enough about it.To a bold proclamation. Well, I

(24:10):
don't think it's that bold. Again, it's it's future assets. You're laying
it around. You know how riskyit is, the the unpredictability with future
picks and all of that. Whenyou go from that end of it to
just picking a guy that's available ateleven, I think that is settling.
Right. But see that somebody poseda scenario like that to me a few
days ago, and I said tothem, Okay, please explain to me

(24:32):
what you like dramatically more about DrakeMay compared to Michael Pennix Junior. Well,
it's not about what I like,it's about what the team's like.
Here's what I said. But therefore, if they're willing to move up for
a guy and sacrifice future picks andthen they end up taking a guy at
eleven, that is the essence ofsettling. But if not, if the

(24:56):
Patriots are asking for five first roundpicks, sure if it's you're twenty twenty
six to one in all of thosethings. So if that falls through and
that's a disaster, I still lookat it ultimately to settle it, And
you have a right to look atit that way. It's fantastic. But
if it truly is a deep quarterbacksdraft, which which you know from the
combine on and everything, we believeit is well, Pix Pennix Junior is

(25:19):
part of that. Bon Nixon isnever really part of that. You know,
with the people with whom we chatwho know more about it than us,
Pennick Junior has been part of itevery step of the way. So
I mean to say, taking aquarterback at eleven is just you settled.
If you're running a business like that, you better get in a different business
because that's I mean, that's theteam. Team settles for guys on time

(25:44):
and out in the first round.But absolutely I bet they do, specifically
as it pertains to the quarterback position. Again, what you are willing to
sacrifice future assets to make a massivejump for a guy at three that doesn't
work, you take that guy ateleven. That is settling. But not
if not if you can't get tothree, if you literally so so in

(26:07):
the backside of it. If if, if it truly is this unprecedented deal
that is just preposterous beyond the threefirst rounders that you mentioned, which I
don't think is preposterous, But ifit is, significant extra equity on top
of that, and they just couldn'tget there. Absolutely, I'm totally with
you. But again, the ifif that doesn't work at three and now

(26:29):
you're sitting at eleven and you're takinghim, I look at that as settling.
So if if they selected to takeMichael Pennix Junior at eleven, yeah,
are you going to be upset aboutthat? Well, I'm just going
to think that, what what didwe miss out? Whether it was McCarthy
earlier? Are you going to beupset or happy with that without further information?
I would be upset. Absolutely.In the end, I'm going to

(26:51):
root for him and I want himto win games for this team that is
still from one spectrum side to theother. I believe that is settling.
Yeah, I'm nondescript on it,where like you know, I'm sticking by
everything I've said for weeks. MayMcCarthy, May McCarthy, May McCarthy.
After that, all right, goodluck. You did the work. I

(27:11):
don't do the work. I don'tknow the nuance of what you do with
individuals you deemed that is the place. Given the twenty twenty four draft,
what you have and what you don'thave and how it was laid out,
and that's who you took. SoI can't get over the like tonight if
they trade up and they get aDrake May at three, I'm going to

(27:32):
be excitable on the microphone, asyou should, because that's what I do.
And I'm excited the team for whomI call games and roots got a
quarterback for the future. Well,now, the line of delineation is there
where. That's one of several thingsthat I appreciate about Quasia Dopamensa is his
decisions are that of conviction. Thereis a line of delineation with what they

(27:56):
traded with Detroit for them to getJamison Williams not afraid to move up so
or move back so Green Bay canget Christian Watson. I mean there's Quasi
has a line of delineation with whathe does where it's easier to figure out
if it was right or wrong,so it will bear its fruit. And
if the tree comes up, thetree comes up dead, somebody loses their

(28:17):
job. Now I will say,Nordo, Actually, it's actually a great
conversation to have because this is whyI think, well, pause, so
we can do it next up.So we're not rushed Alex Lewis The Athletic,
The Athletic dot Com. It's what'sfunnyboy having It's because you're home,
you got yours, he starts lasting, because he has his toys, he

(28:40):
has his sinkhole, he has hisfavorite tea. Got boobon over theres the
train over there. I'm because it'sso fascinating. It's like it really Nordo's
perspective, is it? Actually?It unlocks something in my head. So
I'm home. Yeah, I feelthank you. Yeah, No, it's
great, We'll be right bad.So it's it's all off the spirited conversation.

(29:02):
We just had nine to noon.We have ya, we have mad
Producer and yours. Truly, it'sit's the word settle is where I get
hung up. And so therefore,like if you look up the the Merriam
Webster definition of settle, well thereare myriad options here. So there are
a lot of people who are goingto think I couldn't get into Manny's,

(29:26):
so I'm gonna settle for McDonald's.Right. Okay, Now, so the
settle means, you know, likeI don't know any other options. Well,
I know you don't mean it thatway, correct, but that that's
how I and I don't whether otherstake it however they take it, that's
on them. But that's like howI'm taking it, you know what I

(29:47):
mean? You do, And I'mglad you pointed that out because it's like
if if you want Dallas Turner andhe gets you get sniped, but you
get Jared Verse, like that's apretty damn good player. And in the
vein in which I was speaking,you're settling for Jared Verse because he didn't
get Dallas Turner, and then that'sa w that edge guy. Let's say
Verse, Yeah, okay, welldidn't get him, and then three rounds

(30:11):
later we settled for this guy whowe happened to like a lot, right,
you know what I'm saying. SoI think in the vein of your
thinking, which is probably where wewill come together on, this is the
next in line, next up.So from my standpoint, being upset if
if we're not seeing aggressive attempts,and again, in some ways a lot

(30:32):
of this we won't see until wesift through the ashes and things are leaked
or reported later by people like AlcLewis. But but the aggression of getting
up to three, it doesn't workout that now, okay, next in
line, not settling, But toa JJ McCarthy, they did they make
a move to get up at five? Was the steam on the Giants being

(30:53):
QB aware you could say, nowwhat do they think of JJ? Who
the heck knows? Not me?But but we didn't get there. Now
JJ gets sniped now at eleven,Yeah, we got Michael Pennock. Yeah,
And I do think that there isa deflating element to that because of
how much time, as you've mentioned, it's been May and McCarthy May and

(31:14):
McCarthy McCarthy in May for two anda half months, and that there's a
deflating nature to that. But again, settling probably the wrong word on my
part. In the end, Iwant the Vikings to win a ton of
games with Michael Pennix at e leftthey end up getting, couldn't you tell
from the conversation earlier with Javis withoutand we both respect Corey's acumen with the
draft, Yeah, with the changein his cadence and and and you know

(31:37):
it's it's we didn't push him onthis, but I feel comfortable. I
think he likes Penix Junior more thanMcCarthy I think he does, and I
don't think it's close. Well,so then there's him. There are other
people within the draft covenant with whomI chat off the off the radio,
not in the game, who watcheda lot of college football, who are
like, you know, they're notgoing to break down the schematically sound nature

(32:00):
of somebody or who's mugging the Agap or running stem routes and selling it
with their shoulders at the top perfectly. Okay. They they just they watch
it. They they don't have anagenda. And I have a lot of
people telling me I love Michael EnnixJunr. I mean I watched him play
two times in my life, soso it's yeah, it's for me,

(32:22):
it's get a quarterback, a quarterbackthat probably won't play this year. And
and you know, but so nowlike when when it gets okay, Paul,
why are you May McCarthy all right, I'll fall in love with JJ
McCarthy last month? That's it.His interviews, what I know about him
and the play action, watching somethings that I otherwise hadn't seen. I
just believe in him. My discernmentbelieves in JJ McCarthy. With May,

(32:46):
it's I mean, this started youknow, for me, and if they
draft him, then I'll start sharingsome things you know that that transpired at
the end of the regular season thatyou know kind of led me that way
to make Drake May my first guyfor the Vikings. But but they're they're
not shareable unless he's on this team. With that said, it's where I
got it. Is it it thatthat resonates with me big time? So

(33:10):
i'mna ride that train. And sothat's like how I get to the I
don't get to the May bit becauseof his body's eyes, his arm strength
and and Kenny how well does hethrow right hash left boundary? Those are
things we eventually learned. You've beentalking about his a off platform movement.
I really I would say this ifa high school bit that popped I think
when you were on the radio manat the combine, the Charlotte McCown thing

(33:34):
that matters, That matters now,I would say this about Pinnicks. If
the Vikings end up with Pinnicks.To me, it's one of two things.
Either the Giants probably traded to threeto draft Drake May and and then
someone ended up with McCarthy. Sothe Vikings didn't even have a chance to
get up there to get McCarthy,and so Pinnicks fell or that's that's one
reason why they'd end up with Pinicks. The other is more than well,

(33:58):
here's here's none of us know ifthey do or not. The other.
The other thing I would say isPinnis and their evaluation is very close to
McCarthy, so they didn't feel likeit was worthwhile yea to squeeze up a
little bit more for McCarthy and they'dbe okay with Penis. Now Nicks,
I mean Nicks. I know they'vemet with them. I know they were
at the Senior Bowl Washington pretty closely. It's possible. I just feel more

(34:21):
confident that Kevin O'Connell would see MichaelPinnox and his willingness to throw the ball
deep and his deep ball accuracy andthe performance he put on the combine,
and just from what I've heard,that that that I would say that.
But that's why I don't think Iwould term it as settle, because I
would say, if that ends uphappening, then it's likely that Kevin O'Connell's
evaluation of Pinnis versus McCarthy was prettysimilar. That's what I would say I

(34:45):
would answer the question of the gapthat we've been talking about, and I
wish I could as well. Iwish I could I find out I you
know, I've said it, whetherit's speaking to church events, whether it's
here or wherever. When I'm askedthis, and I'm asked it a lot,
I want the order back Kevin O'Connelllikes most. That should be that's
and when I say Kevin O'Connell,that includes the staff, yeah, mchil

(35:07):
and west Villa, Jelico, thewhole thing. Of course, quarterback Kevin
O'Connell likes best and has not beenslaughtered by the quarterback killer. And if
your Vikings ownership, you hired thisguy for a lot of reasons. He's
been an incredible leader for this organizationthe last two years. But one of
the reasons is to trust him ata time like this. And it's not

(35:29):
just trust him tonight, it's trusthim in the time to come in terms
of developing that guy. Because weget so caught up rightfully in my opinion,
and who are they going to taketonight? But what we aren't going
to talk about enough and maybe emphasizeenough, is that if you do this.
It is on everybody in this buildingto operate the right way and trust
the leadership in charge to make everydecision that they believe is the right one

(35:52):
to develop this guy optimally. Andthat is an advantage that you have and
a team like the Patriots probably,and the prognosticating of what's next in this
violent emotional game is virtually impossible ifyou're casting your gays more than a week.
And here's why. The twenty twentytwo draft, with all due respect,
it was bad. Okay, nowthey they they have time to outplay

(36:14):
twenty twenty two, twenty twenty three, but you know it, looking at
it, it's set the team backto a certain extent. I agree,
Well, they went out won thirteengames after that draft. No nobody saw
it. Few saw that coming.And if you were going to base it
off that draft, you're lying.So you just never know, you know,
specifically when it comes to prognosticating likethat. Welcome home, It's good

(36:36):
to see you. Thank you guys. It was fun, normal, and
I'm i gotta say it's been awesomethis whole cycle. I really appreciate both
of you guys being on the targetschere's mat and for me to Nordo too,
same thing. Excellent, excellent,excellent work up to the draft.
It's been the a topic and youknow, it ain't easy every single day.
Well it's not like you know,it's not like a super hard,

(36:57):
but to change to have the sameconversation, you do it a different way.
And it's been it's been a treatattacking that every single day. But
now it's time to talk about whathappened and move forward to minicamp and see
Drake may or whomever there next weekend. First training camp, he threw a
pick no be on the exclusive VikingsRadio Network perch at the facility and watch

(37:21):
May chew somebody up and then ishe cutting into darnold? You know where's
this? Sjaron Hall? What aboutme? He was on the Mike Cues
Memorial injury field out under the coverof darkness. So let's just get there,
Okay. I'm gonna go, guysvery much, and I'm very very
unfortunate not only to have you guyson my radio show, but to call
you guys friends. It's a beautifulday. I've seen a lot of butterflies,

(37:44):
go chase them. Thank you.For listening. Here's the wrap on
the show. Thanks to Casey's forsponsoring the nine to noon show wraps,
Casey's rewards deals on food and fueland had badass pizza. Love you Cases.
So maybe the tea rolls with Jaredr supposing quarterbacks in ahearse I'd love
Byron Murphy or Jerson Newton get afat guy plugg in the middle of your

(38:07):
darn tutan. But then there's thisguy named Chop and clearly I'm focused on
adding pass rush pop though I pictureFlores deploying Cooper Dejene. I mean,
Iowa Kids an absolute machine. Yougot Dallas Turner flips to switch on.
But who'd be dumb enough to throwon quinnyon Thursday Night? We're fans first,
doing our part, pretending we knowall the names so that we sound

(38:30):
smart. And in the end,it's McCarthy or May, it's not if
Quacy wants to move up, KennyFord to pay and if the draft day
dreams fall through? How does waitingfor Michael Pennock sound to you? Football
Podcast Today's Paul Allen Show or listenback to previous show and interviews. I

(38:51):
go into the iHeartRadio app for Kfanon you