September 17, 2025 • 11 mins
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan shared updates on Brock Purdy’s progress, provided injury updates on FB Kyle Juszczyk, T Trent Williams, and others, and highlighted the impact of rising standouts ahead of the team’s Week 3 matchup with Arizona.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
All right, guys, injuries for practice today?
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Uh you?
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Tour knee won't practice, Juice concussion won't practice, Burford knee
won't practice, Surround Neil concussion won't practice. Trent Williams knee
slash VET Day won't practice, Juwan Jennings ankle slash shoulder
won't practice, McCaffrey calf slash VET Day won't practice, Bosa
Vet Day, Brock Party left shoulder, slash toe will be limited.
(00:27):
That's it.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
He's progressing well with his tow injury.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Oh yeah, he wasn't eliminated eliminated limited to last week,
So yeah, he does have a chance.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
Is there a possibility that he could be the emergency
backup on Sundon?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yes, yep. Curious coach, what are those conversations like between
Rock Party being there and then you don't want to
Russian big but tur to it something it takes a
little time, and then make Jones playing the way he played,
You kind of think is.
Speaker 5 (01:04):
That too much urgency to rush him back?
Speaker 2 (01:06):
What's those conversations.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Like for you?
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Mainly just how he's feeling and how he thinks he
couldn't go, what he thinks he can do today. What's
he think he could do tomorrow, Friday and Sunday really
doesn't have anything to do with how Mac played and
whether it was good or bad doesn't really affect that.
I just talk about where Brock's at.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Right now managing pain.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Um, I don't know, you can ask them. I think
it's painful and an injury, So it's both.
Speaker 5 (01:32):
It's that Spencer Burfect's injured you we're gonna need to
find out more, and that you may have to take
it in another direction. I think you said where you
think he is.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Now, we're still in the same spot. We're gonna see
our response throughout the week and give him the whole
week and assess it as it goes.
Speaker 6 (01:48):
If the turnover, did you think it was the quarterback
hitching one too many times and holding it or is
it on the receiver for not getting separation? What did
you guys decide?
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Now? I was holding on to too long. The play
we wanted, we thought it was going to go wasn't there.
So Mack had to wait a little bit longer to
get the look we weren't expecting. So I didn't like
to play call, but you had to sit there and
take three hitches with him. That deep. That's she was
what expect to happen. We'll love him to get rid
of it, just one hitch earlier.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
I like Kendrick Warren kind of got back into.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
The swing of things here.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
I thought he did a good job, I mean just
getting out there. He didn't get a play a lot
in New England. You know, he was injured most of
the training camp, so getting his conditioning back, getting back
to learning when our offense get lined up and stuff.
I thought he had a good first game and made
some good catches too.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
When you think of Ricky, I know you spoke about
how well he played in the game and the place
he made in that game. Just want to know from
your perspective the jump he's made, being that he actually
got a real start this season and he's been able
to get out there. I'll touchdowns in the last game,
but he was pivotal in the win. What do you
think the jump has been for Ricky from last season
to this season?
Speaker 1 (02:50):
A lot? I mean mainly just from practicing. You know,
he didn't get a practice last year really until he
came back. You know, he missed training camp with shoulder
and hamstring injury, and then right when he got came back,
he got shot. So when he came back Week four
or five, whatever it was, not only was that first
time him coming back, it was kind of his first
time practicing too. It's a little bit of like kind
(03:12):
of what Jordan Watkins has been in getting hurt real
early in camp and just coming back really last week
or whatever it was. But just we saw Ricky get
so much better throughout the end of last year being
out there, and he took it to the offseason. And
when guys are talented enough and made of the right stuff,
it's all they need to do is practice and they
get better running game.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Right now, the yards per carrier or lower defense is
just loading.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
The box or no, it's actually more of the opposite,
more two shell defenses and stuff. The blitzes and stuff
was considered low the load in the box, but they're
doing with more two shell stuff. But we haven't got
a big one. I think it's harder to get big
ones verus two shell and I think I think versus
the Saints, I think we had the longest carry on
them versus two shell defense and a year in one
(03:53):
games and I think it was thirteen yards. But there's
a couple of plays that we've been one guy off
on that I thought we could have got a big
one on, especially for some a man fronts, but it
takes eleven guys to do it. You can't get a
big one when one guy's off. But I'm not too
concerned with the run game, but I'd like to get
more production.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
Since you've been here, Arizona's been a pretty tough game
for the forty nine ers, and I think seven and
nine or something against him. Is there under four different
coaches for them? Is there a common denominator which which
make them fairly tough for the forty nine ers.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
I mean, when you change coaches, it's always different with
scheme and stuff. But they always present a problem schematically.
I mean, just since Gannon has been there these last
few years, they present a lot of problems. And I
think anytime you got a quarterback like Kyler, regardless of
how the game's going, you can or how good you're
doing schematically, you never know when he kind of locks
something and getting off schedule. But they've been a tough team.
(04:45):
Most of our division opponents are. I mean, we battle
with all those guys, so nothing in particular, but I
think they've had good coaches and good players.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Jajo Brown. I assume he's disappointed that he's not starting.
What do you make of how he's handled things and
what he did with his opportunity.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
On Sunday, Tigs handled things great. You know, he's been
the same guy, played the same way. I think he's
had a good job on teams, getting more reps there,
and thought he did a good job with his big
nickel role last week. He's done a good job in
practice which kind of earned him that role, and been
real happy with Tig.
Speaker 5 (05:20):
I was Brendon and I you progressing.
Speaker 6 (05:22):
I know that you said he could return a weeks five,
six seven.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Yeah, he's progressing.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
Yeah, you said d Winners has improved from last year.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
I think a lot. You know, I think d Winners
is a guy we wanted to get in there early.
He ended up getting a high ankle sprain last year
and kept seeing it. But once he kind of got
in there and started going consistently and staying healthy, you
could see it towards the end of the year, just
like what I was saying with Ricky a little bit ago,
and then just this entire offseason, getting all the reps
and OTAs all the reps in training camp staying healthy,
so he didn't have any setbacks, and he's made it
(05:55):
the right stuff and he just gets better than more.
Speaker 5 (05:57):
He's out there a mindset the player like him goes
through with. You know, last year he knew that Dre
was always back there. Whenever Dre was healthy, he was
going to be the guy. But this year it's it's
clearly his job. Is there something about that?
Speaker 1 (06:12):
I think there is. I mean, I think guys always
like that role more and but I've seen it go
both ways, and sometimes you think it's your job and
people lose their edge a little bit and it makes
them worse. Sometimes people are so worried about how good
the guy is behind him or ahead of them, that
they're so on their stuff every second it makes them better.
So I don't know if that had an effect on indeed,
(06:34):
have to ask him. But we've been a fan of
d for a while. He's green, Laws was ahead of him.
Drey was going to move into that early last year,
but the injuries set him back, and now he's gotten
his opportunity. He's run with it.
Speaker 6 (06:47):
Oh, Christian had a twenty yard comeback catch on third
and long. Where does he rank as far as route
running as with the backs you've seen and coached.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
The best.
Speaker 6 (06:57):
Way the best.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Yes, definitely Defensive Player of the Week for NFC. Before
his ankle I dreary last year, it looked like he
was having an incredible season. Do you feel like he's
back at that stage now?
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (07:10):
I do, I think, and I think Fred kind of
always plays at that level. I know he got he
was playing through some stuff last year and I didn't
think I think it was more that how we were
playing around him also or just as much as that.
But Fred, I mean, well deserved with what he did
last week. I feel like you can almost get that
every week. But Fred's having a hell of a year
so far. Like I can't think of a year he hasn't.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Though mikel and Alfred proved of Game one to Game two.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
I think a lot. You know, they did some good
things in game one, but we saw even better in
game two. Alfred got out there more, flashed a bunch.
I see both of those guys just working the right way,
made of the right stuff. Alfred's been stringing together a
lot of stuff because he's been able to avoid injury
Mikel's getting back and getting used to it, and I
thought it was a big improve in a week two.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
With Ton just he had a nice pancake bought on touchdown.
I assume he's still work in progress as a blocker,
but how much has he improved since you.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Got a lot? You know, he came in as more
of a pass game guy. And if you're a tight
end and you're just a pass game guy, you can
call yourself a tight end, but you're really just another receiver.
So you got to be able to block. And he's
shown us that he's been able to do it from
the eye at a fullback position. He's been able to
do it on the line of scrimmage. So he keeps
improving at that all the time.
Speaker 5 (08:25):
Along those lines, kittles out. Now you might missus week,
we'll see. I mean, how much stress does that put
on you to find ways to use these tight ends?
Speaker 2 (08:34):
How much stress is to put on the tight ends?
Speaker 1 (08:36):
I mean it puts a lot on those guys. You know,
anytime you're missing two good players like that, I think
it's a little easier for those guys when we can
prepare for more. It's a little harder in the game.
You want to prepare for everything, but sometimes you prepare
for everything and it makes them not good at anything.
So when that happens in the game early, that's kind
of took us a while to adjust to it. But
I thought they did a hell of a job on
(08:57):
Sunday and them going through that makes them even more
prepare for that situation.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
This way named a.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Starter pretty quickly. What is it about his mental approach
to the game and what he's like just off the
field that made you give that opportunity.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
I mean, we loved his ability with you know, his
speed and the way he hits and everything, but just
watching him early, you know, he missed Ota, so we
weren't totally sure. We thought he had a chance just
watching him in his college film, but even when he
was out in OTAs, just how at Tinevy was a
meeting's way to ask questions. Once he got his opportunity
in training camp, it seemed like he had been working
throughout OTAs. I think he's a guy who gives it
(09:31):
is all off the field in terms of preparation, conditioning,
all that stuff in the weight room, but mainly the
mental approach. And so when he's got in there and
been prepared mentally. He's got the speed, and he's got
the courage to hit, and his body's built that way.
That can make him pretty good player.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Don Colby's performance surprised you.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
At all, not really from appointed at Iowa, where the
footwork was kind of suspect on pass pro and stuff,
to where he gives up no pressures and fulling, he's
been pretty I think pass pro has kind of been
his strength. We've noticed since he's been here. You know,
he's been a tough guy to get around. We could
see it in one on ones early in camp. I
think his adjustment has been more a little bit more
(10:10):
of the run game, just a little bit more our style.
I think it was in that game too versus New Orleans.
But now that's why he made our team. You know,
he beat out some good players, some guys who've been
in this league before, so I think in order to
do that, we gott to feel pretty high on him.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
Where does Bryce have sacked rank as far as the
fastest sacks you've ever seen?
Speaker 1 (10:31):
I don't really know that stuff, but since I don't
have like an automatic miles per hour GPS in my head,
it looked fast a lot of them look fast. I've
seen Dwight Freeney used to like be the fastest I've
ever seen those like my first few years as a coordinator.
But I was told by analytics that was the fastest
at two point two, so I guess that was the fastest.
(10:52):
I don't know if Freeny had a GPS on him
though back then. All Right, guys, thanks,
All right, guys, injuries for practice today?
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Uh you?
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Tour knee won't practice, Juice concussion won't practice, Burford knee
won't practice, Surround Neil concussion won't practice. Trent Williams knee
slash VET Day won't practice, Juwan Jennings ankle slash shoulder
won't practice, McCaffrey calf slash VET Day won't practice, Bosa
Vet Day, Brock Party left shoulder, slash toe will be limited.
(00:27):
That's it.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
He's progressing well with his tow injury.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Oh yeah, he wasn't eliminated eliminated limited to last week,
So yeah, he does have a chance.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
Is there a possibility that he could be the emergency
backup on Sundon?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yes, yep. Curious coach, what are those conversations like between
Rock Party being there and then you don't want to
Russian big but tur to it something it takes a
little time, and then make Jones playing the way he played,
You kind of think is.
Speaker 5 (01:04):
That too much urgency to rush him back?
Speaker 2 (01:06):
What's those conversations.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Like for you?
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Mainly just how he's feeling and how he thinks he
couldn't go, what he thinks he can do today. What's
he think he could do tomorrow, Friday and Sunday really
doesn't have anything to do with how Mac played and
whether it was good or bad doesn't really affect that.
I just talk about where Brock's at.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Right now managing pain.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Um, I don't know, you can ask them. I think
it's painful and an injury, So it's both.
Speaker 5 (01:32):
It's that Spencer Burfect's injured you we're gonna need to
find out more, and that you may have to take
it in another direction. I think you said where you
think he is.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Now, we're still in the same spot. We're gonna see
our response throughout the week and give him the whole
week and assess it as it goes.
Speaker 6 (01:48):
If the turnover, did you think it was the quarterback
hitching one too many times and holding it or is
it on the receiver for not getting separation? What did
you guys decide?
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Now? I was holding on to too long. The play
we wanted, we thought it was going to go wasn't there.
So Mack had to wait a little bit longer to
get the look we weren't expecting. So I didn't like
to play call, but you had to sit there and
take three hitches with him. That deep. That's she was
what expect to happen. We'll love him to get rid
of it, just one hitch earlier.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
I like Kendrick Warren kind of got back into.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
The swing of things here.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
I thought he did a good job, I mean just
getting out there. He didn't get a play a lot
in New England. You know, he was injured most of
the training camp, so getting his conditioning back, getting back
to learning when our offense get lined up and stuff.
I thought he had a good first game and made
some good catches too.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
When you think of Ricky, I know you spoke about
how well he played in the game and the place
he made in that game. Just want to know from
your perspective the jump he's made, being that he actually
got a real start this season and he's been able
to get out there. I'll touchdowns in the last game,
but he was pivotal in the win. What do you
think the jump has been for Ricky from last season
to this season?
Speaker 1 (02:50):
A lot? I mean mainly just from practicing. You know,
he didn't get a practice last year really until he
came back. You know, he missed training camp with shoulder
and hamstring injury, and then right when he got came back,
he got shot. So when he came back Week four
or five, whatever it was, not only was that first
time him coming back, it was kind of his first
time practicing too. It's a little bit of like kind
(03:12):
of what Jordan Watkins has been in getting hurt real
early in camp and just coming back really last week
or whatever it was. But just we saw Ricky get
so much better throughout the end of last year being
out there, and he took it to the offseason. And
when guys are talented enough and made of the right stuff,
it's all they need to do is practice and they
get better running game.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Right now, the yards per carrier or lower defense is
just loading.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
The box or no, it's actually more of the opposite,
more two shell defenses and stuff. The blitzes and stuff
was considered low the load in the box, but they're
doing with more two shell stuff. But we haven't got
a big one. I think it's harder to get big
ones verus two shell and I think I think versus
the Saints, I think we had the longest carry on
them versus two shell defense and a year in one
(03:53):
games and I think it was thirteen yards. But there's
a couple of plays that we've been one guy off
on that I thought we could have got a big
one on, especially for some a man fronts, but it
takes eleven guys to do it. You can't get a
big one when one guy's off. But I'm not too
concerned with the run game, but I'd like to get
more production.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
Since you've been here, Arizona's been a pretty tough game
for the forty nine ers, and I think seven and
nine or something against him. Is there under four different
coaches for them? Is there a common denominator which which
make them fairly tough for the forty nine ers.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
I mean, when you change coaches, it's always different with
scheme and stuff. But they always present a problem schematically.
I mean, just since Gannon has been there these last
few years, they present a lot of problems. And I
think anytime you got a quarterback like Kyler, regardless of
how the game's going, you can or how good you're
doing schematically, you never know when he kind of locks
something and getting off schedule. But they've been a tough team.
(04:45):
Most of our division opponents are. I mean, we battle
with all those guys, so nothing in particular, but I
think they've had good coaches and good players.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Jajo Brown. I assume he's disappointed that he's not starting.
What do you make of how he's handled things and
what he did with his opportunity.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
On Sunday, Tigs handled things great. You know, he's been
the same guy, played the same way. I think he's
had a good job on teams, getting more reps there,
and thought he did a good job with his big
nickel role last week. He's done a good job in
practice which kind of earned him that role, and been
real happy with Tig.
Speaker 5 (05:20):
I was Brendon and I you progressing.
Speaker 6 (05:22):
I know that you said he could return a weeks five,
six seven.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Yeah, he's progressing.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
Yeah, you said d Winners has improved from last year.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
I think a lot. You know, I think d Winners
is a guy we wanted to get in there early.
He ended up getting a high ankle sprain last year
and kept seeing it. But once he kind of got
in there and started going consistently and staying healthy, you
could see it towards the end of the year, just
like what I was saying with Ricky a little bit ago,
and then just this entire offseason, getting all the reps
and OTAs all the reps in training camp staying healthy,
so he didn't have any setbacks, and he's made it
(05:55):
the right stuff and he just gets better than more.
Speaker 5 (05:57):
He's out there a mindset the player like him goes
through with. You know, last year he knew that Dre
was always back there. Whenever Dre was healthy, he was
going to be the guy. But this year it's it's
clearly his job. Is there something about that?
Speaker 1 (06:12):
I think there is. I mean, I think guys always
like that role more and but I've seen it go
both ways, and sometimes you think it's your job and
people lose their edge a little bit and it makes
them worse. Sometimes people are so worried about how good
the guy is behind him or ahead of them, that
they're so on their stuff every second it makes them better.
So I don't know if that had an effect on indeed,
(06:34):
have to ask him. But we've been a fan of
d for a while. He's green, Laws was ahead of him.
Drey was going to move into that early last year,
but the injuries set him back, and now he's gotten
his opportunity. He's run with it.
Speaker 6 (06:47):
Oh, Christian had a twenty yard comeback catch on third
and long. Where does he rank as far as route
running as with the backs you've seen and coached.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
The best.
Speaker 6 (06:57):
Way the best.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Yes, definitely Defensive Player of the Week for NFC. Before
his ankle I dreary last year, it looked like he
was having an incredible season. Do you feel like he's
back at that stage now?
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (07:10):
I do, I think, and I think Fred kind of
always plays at that level. I know he got he
was playing through some stuff last year and I didn't
think I think it was more that how we were
playing around him also or just as much as that.
But Fred, I mean, well deserved with what he did
last week. I feel like you can almost get that
every week. But Fred's having a hell of a year
so far. Like I can't think of a year he hasn't.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Though mikel and Alfred proved of Game one to Game two.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
I think a lot. You know, they did some good
things in game one, but we saw even better in
game two. Alfred got out there more, flashed a bunch.
I see both of those guys just working the right way,
made of the right stuff. Alfred's been stringing together a
lot of stuff because he's been able to avoid injury
Mikel's getting back and getting used to it, and I
thought it was a big improve in a week two.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
With Ton just he had a nice pancake bought on touchdown.
I assume he's still work in progress as a blocker,
but how much has he improved since you.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Got a lot? You know, he came in as more
of a pass game guy. And if you're a tight
end and you're just a pass game guy, you can
call yourself a tight end, but you're really just another receiver.
So you got to be able to block. And he's
shown us that he's been able to do it from
the eye at a fullback position. He's been able to
do it on the line of scrimmage. So he keeps
improving at that all the time.
Speaker 5 (08:25):
Along those lines, kittles out. Now you might missus week,
we'll see. I mean, how much stress does that put
on you to find ways to use these tight ends?
Speaker 2 (08:34):
How much stress is to put on the tight ends?
Speaker 1 (08:36):
I mean it puts a lot on those guys. You know,
anytime you're missing two good players like that, I think
it's a little easier for those guys when we can
prepare for more. It's a little harder in the game.
You want to prepare for everything, but sometimes you prepare
for everything and it makes them not good at anything.
So when that happens in the game early, that's kind
of took us a while to adjust to it. But
I thought they did a hell of a job on
(08:57):
Sunday and them going through that makes them even more
prepare for that situation.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
This way named a.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Starter pretty quickly. What is it about his mental approach
to the game and what he's like just off the
field that made you give that opportunity.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
I mean, we loved his ability with you know, his
speed and the way he hits and everything, but just
watching him early, you know, he missed Ota, so we
weren't totally sure. We thought he had a chance just
watching him in his college film, but even when he
was out in OTAs, just how at Tinevy was a
meeting's way to ask questions. Once he got his opportunity
in training camp, it seemed like he had been working
throughout OTAs. I think he's a guy who gives it
(09:31):
is all off the field in terms of preparation, conditioning,
all that stuff in the weight room, but mainly the
mental approach. And so when he's got in there and
been prepared mentally. He's got the speed, and he's got
the courage to hit, and his body's built that way.
That can make him pretty good player.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Don Colby's performance surprised you.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
At all, not really from appointed at Iowa, where the
footwork was kind of suspect on pass pro and stuff,
to where he gives up no pressures and fulling, he's
been pretty I think pass pro has kind of been
his strength. We've noticed since he's been here. You know,
he's been a tough guy to get around. We could
see it in one on ones early in camp. I
think his adjustment has been more a little bit more
(10:10):
of the run game, just a little bit more our style.
I think it was in that game too versus New Orleans.
But now that's why he made our team. You know,
he beat out some good players, some guys who've been
in this league before, so I think in order to
do that, we gott to feel pretty high on him.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
Where does Bryce have sacked rank as far as the
fastest sacks you've ever seen?
Speaker 1 (10:31):
I don't really know that stuff, but since I don't
have like an automatic miles per hour GPS in my head,
it looked fast a lot of them look fast. I've
seen Dwight Freeney used to like be the fastest I've
ever seen those like my first few years as a coordinator.
But I was told by analytics that was the fastest
at two point two, so I guess that was the fastest.
(10:52):
I don't know if Freeny had a GPS on him
though back then. All Right, guys, thanks,
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.