July 11, 2025 • 46 mins
On this episode of Chargers Weekly, Bolts radio play-by-play announcer Matt “Money” Smith & host Chris Hayre recap the latest news involving LA and the entire NFL. The hosts are joined by The Athletic's Daniel Popper and Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the LA Times as they discuss the top 2025 training camp storylines to watch, break down potential position group battles and depth chart "what-ifs," and explore how offensive linemen Mekhi Becton and Joe Alt, along with wide receivers Mike Williams and Quentin Johnston, will work together in the offense this season.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Late fifteen ten touched up Well, what's up?
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Guys?
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Welcome into a brand new episode of Chargers Weekly. We
are one week away from Chargers Training Camp as op
Boy's joined by the voice of the Chargers Matt Muddy
Smith and Buddy, a pair of special guests to get
us ready.
Speaker 4 (00:24):
For Camp Yeah Camp one week from today. I saw
all of the dates that were posted on the seventh
of July already gone sold out, So make sure you
keep checking Chargers dot com for those training camp tickets.
And I guess we'll just get started. To me, why
don't you start is you don't have an opportunity to
join us very often because Chris doesn't invite you because
he's a jerk.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Oh it's my fault, it's right.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
It is just kind of your thoughts on the first
thing that just comes to mind when you hear training
Camp July seventeenth, where your eyes are going to go
and what you're looking at.
Speaker 5 (00:58):
My first thought is, oh, my gosh, I don't have
any summer left. First of all, I wish I would
have enjoyed my summer vacation more. Second thought is I
believe everyone is really excited to see what this rookie
class can do. I think Jim Harbaugh said earlier this
offseason that this is the hardest working, most focused rookie
class he's ever been around in his experience of football.
(01:21):
So I'm excited to see if they can kind of
live up to that billing. Aroonda Gadson was one of
the rookies who really popped later in mini camp, So
we'll see what he can do and when the pads
come on and they start playing some or at least
getting ready to play some real football, you.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Know, Popper, we were talking about this last week, just
all the storylines entering training camp. If you had to
pinpoint the top storyline entering camp, the number one thing
we would be talking about next week, what would it be.
Speaker 6 (01:48):
I'm gonna cheat a little bit and go with sort
of a broad storyline. I'm really looking forward to watching
all of the competition because it feels like there's probably
three position groups that are going to be very, very
hotly contested in terms of making the roster the fifty
three men, and also in terms of starting spots. You know,
corner I think is going to be highly highly competitive.
(02:10):
You know, obviously you have Tarib Still and Cam Hart
returning to veterans they signed in freegency, and Dante Jackson
in Benjamin sat Juice. You talk about the interior defensive line,
which feels like a very deep group to me. But
I think the question is who's going to be that
top end producer that emerges from that group and then receiver.
You know, Tukne just mentioned the rookies. Two of those rookies,
Trey Harris and KeAndre Lambert Smith. In that room, you
(02:32):
have Mike Williams, you have Quintin Johnston, who is going
to be battling for playing time potentially.
Speaker 7 (02:36):
A roster spot.
Speaker 6 (02:37):
Who are the guys that sort of emerge around Lad McConkey. So,
and there's even more position groups that you can point to,
but it just feels like with the way they built
this roster, it's deep and there's gonna be a lot
of competition, and I'm really curious to see sort of
who emerges in these position groups to be that sort
of blue chip, top end guy that they can rely on.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
Yeah, Chris, I think like this time of year, we
get in Popper can attest to this, We get focused
on the fifty three and we get focused on you know,
those last five players when really, you know, it's just
a it's it's I don't know, it comes with the
job and the time of year, but really it's about
who's going to play, Like who's going to snatch these spots?
(03:18):
And like that's what's more interesting than spots forty eight
through fifty three. Is it gonna be Tarheeb and cam Hart?
And is Derwin gonna be the big nickel is? Like
you said, Popper, and I think you alluded to it, Tonee,
Like is Quentin gonna be receiver? I'd say three? Like
if Mike Williams is healthy, is he receiver?
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Three?
Speaker 4 (03:35):
Is he receiver?
Speaker 5 (03:36):
Two?
Speaker 7 (03:36):
Like? What?
Speaker 4 (03:37):
That's sort of the more interesting part of training camp
to me, as opposed to us trying to figure out
if John Taylor and Dean Leonard are going to make
this team or are they going to carry an extra safety?
What about all their draft picks? Like there is I
think to your point, Daniel, like there is serious competition
for these starting positions. It's a deep team. I love
(03:59):
that it's a deep It feels way there's way more
depth than there have been in the patent than there
has been in the past. But I don't know what
this starting lineup's going to look like when they take
their first snap in Brazil on the fifth of September.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Yeah, you know, and guys, one of the position groups
I think that the fans have talked about a lot
and we've talked about certainly a lot this off season
is interior offensive line and just what that starting five
is going to look like. I guess maybe from like
a ten thousand foot view took me and then Popper,
just your initial thoughts on what they did this offseason
(04:30):
across the offensive line and how you think that may
look throughout the course of training camp.
Speaker 5 (04:34):
To me, first of all, I think it's interesting to
point that it seems very fitting that a Jim Harbaugh
team would have like the number one topic being offensive line.
That seems very appropriate for kind of like the the
ethos of this team of what this group is trying
to build in terms of their identity. So, yeah, we
(04:57):
saw them flip flop back and forth with Zion John
starting at center, Bradley Bozeman left guard. Then the next
day they switched, and that's kind of a big thing
that we're all going to be looking for in terms
of that starting offensive line because for Sean is for
San Slater is set at left tackle.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
McKai Beckton was that big, literal big uh free.
Speaker 5 (05:17):
Agent signing and they're going to put him in at
right guard immediately. And then Joe all is coming off
a really strong rookie year at right tackle. And when
you just speaking to that right side, specifically, when you
put McKay, Beckton and Joe next to each other, it's
like comically large, comically large humans standing next to each
other as like a small person myself, Like it's almost
(05:42):
frightening to stand next to those people.
Speaker 6 (05:45):
Yeah, let the record show I did not bring up
the interior of the offensive line first this time for you.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
To speak on it.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
I just logged you.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Before you before you go further, Popper, just because I
don't want you to think I'm I'm taking your content.
But it's great content at the athletic and I love
that you pointed out, like, hey, calm down. You know
how this front office works. They're going to get a
look at it, and if they decide it's not right,
then that's when they go shopping. And that's kind of
how Georatives did it last year.
Speaker 7 (06:16):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 6 (06:17):
I mean they went into training camp thinking that they
were probably going to have to bring in a third
safety last year, but they had aj Finley who had
shown some flashes and they let him play a bunch
during training camp to see if he could be that
guy that could play next to a Lohi Gillman. When
they moved Derwin James around, they came to the conclusion that, like, hey,
we need to be a little bit better here, and
they identified Elijah Moulden as a guy who could potentially
(06:38):
be available.
Speaker 7 (06:39):
I think it's gonna be a.
Speaker 6 (06:39):
Similar process this year, and they they believe that that
Zion has a shot to be a good center, Like
they truly truly believe that. I think a lot of
it is unknown because he's never played there, and they're
really going back to, you know, the reps he had
in the Senior Bowl, you know, in the pre draft
process when he was playing there and showed some signs
of life as a potential senate. So in terms of
(07:01):
the approach, like you know, the guard market went crazy
in free agency, so I don't think it was you know,
ridiculous for them to sort of look for value. You know,
Will Fry's signs for over eighty million dollars, you know,
money and I we talked about the Aaron Banks contract before.
I was fine with how they sort of approached free agency.
You know, I personally, based on how that Houston game
(07:23):
went and the weakness that was the interior of the
offensive line last season, would have probably invested more. But
and the you know, the way everything shook out in
terms of their board in the draft, they ended up
going more with past catching weapons to try and improve offensively,
and they're going to try and figure it out at
left guard and center. I think that, like in a
(07:43):
perfect world, what they would like is for Zion to
move to center and be very comfortable there, and then
they slide Bradley Boseman at left guard and they feel
like that will be an improvement. I have to see it.
That's sort of where I'm at. I have to see
them with the pads on. I have to see how
they perform, you know. You know, it feels a little
bit like, you know, they're trying to flip these guys around.
Speaker 7 (08:02):
They think there's going to be significant improvement, but.
Speaker 6 (08:04):
I have to see it before I really believe that,
you know, they're going to have dramatic improvement. I think
the big question is and we can get everyone's thoughts
on this, like the Mackai Beckton signing, like they feel
like inserting him in and having him play is going
to drastically improve the interior because you have a much
better player there as sort of a force multiplier.
Speaker 7 (08:25):
And I can certainly see that logic.
Speaker 6 (08:27):
But again, like where I'm at is like let's see him,
what the pads on, Let's see what it looks like,
and then we can sort of get a sense of
like is this going to be a dramatic improvement or
an incremental improvement or no improvement.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
I think when people talk O line, you know, they
just inherently visualize pass protection and sack prevention. And for
this team, it has been a fight with one hand
tied behind your back and the run game for the
last half decade. So the idea that like it's even
when it was Trey and alltlast year, We're like, why
(09:01):
can they not run?
Speaker 7 (09:02):
Right?
Speaker 4 (09:02):
What is going on? Like the idea that now you have,
like you talked about too, and like these people movers,
these massive humans to be able to run the ball
that side, to be able to run the ball behind Slater,
who's exceptional in that phase of the game. Like that
just opens up a ton if you know McKay Beckton
(09:22):
isn't an elite pass protector. If they can just unlock
that on that side, and we know Zion's a good
run blocker, he's fine if he goes back to left
guard and with Rashan, if there's just some way for
them to at least get that going, Like, I just
want to see what this team looks like with a
legitimate run game where play action is working and Herbert's
(09:43):
got time to throw because play action is working, because
you have to honor it when the guy's taking a
play action fake and run into the right side instead
of them saying, you know whatever, And just to kind
of backend that real quick because I like hearing myself
talk like remember guards like Trace, it's going to get
paid twenty four million dollars as a guy that was
taking in the sixth round. You know, Kenyon Green and
(10:04):
Zion Johnson are struggling as first round pack you can
find you could find guards.
Speaker 7 (10:09):
You know, you have the draft them money, you do.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
But I think that's kind of like what you were
alluding to, Like the way their board fell, it's unfortunate
that they didn't take that shot. Now they got one
in the sixth round. Okay, I've talked to some people
about Branson Taylor. I know nothing about him. I didn't
even bother watching any film. I had no idea. But
there are people inside that building that are very excited
(10:31):
about the strength that he possesses and what they believe
he could look like as a guard. So I think
I'm not saying he's going to be the next Tray Smith.
I'm saying it was a flyer on a tackle that
was injured, but he profiled as a guard to some
people that I really trust what they think, and they
think he's got a shot. So that's that's all I'm saying.
I'm not putting my neck out there is dying on
(10:53):
Branson Taylor Hill. I'm saying, like, that's what what I
was told.
Speaker 6 (10:58):
Yeah, I guess, like, yeah, just one more, Yeah, go ahead,
christ go Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Sorry, No, I was just gonna reference something that you
had in your notebook about the wide receivers and listen,
if we had like a blame pie like what happened
in Houston. Obviously, you know the offensive line struggled, but
you know the running game, I think averaged less than
three yards per carry, and I think that goes hand
in hand with the offensive line. But you mentioned getting
these weapons on the outside for Justin. But now this
(11:25):
completely revamped running game with Najie Harris and Omari and Hampton,
you wonder how much debt is going to contribute to
success offensively.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
JK was hurt at the end of the year.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
Gus just for whatever reason, didn't have it last year,
and he was hurt at the beginning of the year.
So I just I look at this kind of revamped
running game. It's such a such an integral part of
what they want to do this year, and I wonder
if that elevates to play the offensive line to the
play of the running backs behind them.
Speaker 6 (11:54):
Yeah, I think ultimately, like there's two ways to go
about it. Like I think everyone would agree that the
interior offensive line was a weakness last year. There's you know,
one way is to drastically improve your personnel. But if
the market doesn't shake out in a way where you
can drastically improve your personnel via the draft and free agency,
then you have to pivot to some other way to improve.
(12:15):
And the other way to improve is to drastically improve
the personnel around those players to try and get more
out of them and take some of the weight off
their shoulders. And I think they leaned more towards the
second route because of how everything shook out. And so
you get a bunch of more weapons who can win
against man coverage and help in some of those third
down situations where Justin Herbert wasn't very good last year
when he faced man, you know on third down. They
(12:36):
get better at running back like they did obviously bring
McKai back to and we'll see if he can improve
the running game. And so, like, I think that's sort
of the approach, right, like you build everything around you know,
you try a swap with Bradley Boseman and Zion Johnson.
You see if a better running game, more options in
the passing game can alleviate some of the issues you
had on the offensive line last year. And I listen,
(12:57):
I understand the process, and I think there's certainly logic
to believing that if you can build a better running game,
then you can take some of that pressure off of
your offensive line.
Speaker 5 (13:06):
Yeah, it's not like they didn't do anything or like
they didn't they didn't make any moves toward building the roster,
because the other thing that we were everyone was shouting
about was like, make sure you get more playmakers for
Justin Herbert, and they definitely did that. They addressed that
in the draft, bringing in like Popper mentioned, kls Keander,
Allan burpt Smith, Trey Harris, Arondi Gatson, who's really who
(13:30):
really flashed during mini camp.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
So I think there is there's.
Speaker 5 (13:34):
Just a lot of changes, and I'm excited to see
what they can do dur in training camp when they
put the pads on and they they really start preparing
in earnest and see what this team will actually look like,
because like like you said, Pop, like you got to
show it, right, you got to show it. Especially in
the offensive line, There's not really much you can kind
of discern from these, you know, practices without pads and
(13:56):
everyone no one's trying to get hurt at this time.
So I think there's still a lot to see in
terms of what they can do, especially on offense with
all these changes.
Speaker 7 (14:05):
Yeah, one hundred percent.
Speaker 6 (14:06):
And then like you go to that Houston game and
like obviously the protection was an issue, but they also
had nobody else outside of aladmcconkey's you could absolutely say
like that you look at what happened last year, look
at what happened in the playoffs, and be like, you know, yes,
the protection was an issue, but our biggest weakness was
actually that we had one guy that could actually make plays.
Like you go to the rest of the receivers in
that game, it was two catches for fourteen yards, and
(14:28):
so like, I understand it. I understand it just like
I from my experience covering football, like I'm always going
to try and build my offensive line, like that's going
to be my approach. And you know, Tutne brought up
the ethos of the team, like if you want to
be a big, bruising, mauling, physical line of scrimmage team,
then it takes investment.
Speaker 7 (14:49):
And that's that's sort of my approach on it.
Speaker 5 (14:52):
And we saw this that succeed last year with the Eagles,
like they that was their calling card and then they got.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
One of those beat the hell out of everybody the
one mistake that and I know, I look, I'm as
guilty of it as anyone is. You know, you kind
of forget that other pieces can improve other parts of
the team, like the idea that they're running. And I'm
not trying to take shots at these guys, but it's
just not what they do. You're having Tucker Fisk run routes.
You've got Eric Tomlinson out there, Hayden Hurst was never
(15:22):
right from the jump, and you know Will Disley is
now forced into catching fifty balls on eighty targets, and
you just bring in Tyler Conklin, Like, I don't think
people recognize what a huge upgrade that is a guy
that can run routes and catch balls and is a
viable red zone target. You know that Omari and Hampton
a back that has juice, a physical, punishing back with
(15:44):
legit juice to take it seventy five to the house
every time he touches that. Like that, all of that
is part of the can we solve? And you mentioned
it earlier? Is that part of this? Like, it's not
just a one anth a riddle. There's a million different
ways to answer it, and I think when you kind
of take it into totality, it appears as though they
(16:07):
addressed it a heck of a lot better than just
why didn't we sign Will Fries, Why didn't we draft
a center in the second round. You know, it's kind
of like, well, all of these pieces combined. Now, whether
or not it works, I can't say, but I do
think there were other ways, like you alluded to with
the pass catchers, Popper, that like, yeah, they're trying to
figure it out.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
You know.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Let's not forget that the first pick of the Hortes
hardball era was Joe all Over, Molik Neighbors and some
of those other talented.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Receivers at the top of the draft.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
So I think that these guys are just they're picking
the best football player for the team. And at that
point when Amari and Hampton was on the board of
twenty two, I think a lot of us thought that
maybe Amaran Hampton would have gone a little bit earlier
to Dallas perhaps, or you know, based on where Genti
went at six. So I do agree with the playmaking
aspect of this bringing in all these different receivers, and
(16:58):
that's what's fascinating. I know that was also your mailbag, Popper,
and took me a love for you to chime into
on this, just the pecking order of wide receiver and
then add tie into that with Conklin and Gatst and
to go with the year that Disley had like, how
do you see this wide receiver room shaking out? Let's
say one to four, because you know Quintin's certainly in
the mix, but depending on how quickly Trey Harris gets
(17:20):
up the speed this, this could be his job for
the taking as well.
Speaker 5 (17:25):
Yeah, it's really I mean, obviously, lad first, that's an easy,
easy one to put in there. I think when we
talked to Sanjay Lowell, he said that Quentin Johnston is
a starter and we're treating him as a starter. We
told him he's a starter, and that's really one of
the big things that I'm looking for is like, if
they're giving this to him, if they're setting this example.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
Then can he hold on to it?
Speaker 5 (17:51):
Because I think that's a big part of this team,
is like you want to empower him, but also you
need to push him. So I'm really curious to see
what Tray Harris can do. I think he started flashing
in Rookie Mini Caamp and in Mini Camp KeAndre Lambert
Smith was hurt toward the end, as was Mike Williams.
So I think there's a lot of changes that will
be happening, and there's gonna be a lot of shuffling
(18:13):
in that wide receiver order.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
I don't know what you think, Pop.
Speaker 6 (18:17):
Yeah, I mean I expect Quentin to be wide receiver
four at the start of the season. Like I think
you're gonna have Trey Harris and.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
Mike September like when September hits won.
Speaker 6 (18:27):
Yeah, I like, I mean, you can look at what
they say, or you can look at what they do.
Speaker 7 (18:33):
I always prefer to look at what they do.
Speaker 6 (18:35):
And so they went out this offseason and brought in
three receivers who play primarily on the outside, which is
where Quinton plays for the Chargers. And that tells me
that they wanted significantly more competition, at minimum at the position.
And so you know, I think Quentin's gonna have to
earn it. I think he's gonna have to earn his
(18:56):
spot on the roster. I think he's gonna have to
earn his playing time. And that's just what the culture is, right.
Like I wrote this in the mail bag that like,
you know, those who produced will stay, like Jim said
that in the little video that they put out last July,
and it was hanging in the locker room all season,
like you have to show up, you have to play
well to earn your spot on the team. I think
(19:18):
last year you had a situation where they just didn't
have any other options. This year, they've created a scenario
where they have many other options, and you're gonna have
a ton of competition as far as who's gonna be
playing alongside Lad mconkee, and they've created a scenario where
Quintin's going to have to earn it, and I'm.
Speaker 7 (19:34):
Excited to see it.
Speaker 6 (19:35):
Like if he showed he has all of the talent
in the world, if he shows up and plays well,
there's a path for him to play a lot for
this team. But he's gonna have to show up and
he's gonna have to play well, and we'll see that
and figure that out in training him.
Speaker 5 (19:50):
And we saw Trey Harris start moving up a little
bit because at the beginning of their sessions together, it
was Lad, Quintin and Jalen rieger Rager at the first
three receivers, and then toward the end we saw Trey
Harris move into Jalen spot. So we're already seeing Trey
Harris progress and like you know, Quentin Is could be
(20:11):
the next guy that he's going to run down.
Speaker 4 (20:14):
Yeah, it's Look, it's that this is where we get
into the whole fifty three conversation, right because and it's
a it's a sore spot for Popper because of the
extra receiver.
Speaker 7 (20:23):
Thet year New year.
Speaker 4 (20:26):
Yeah, yes, that we went through this last year. There's
no way they'll keep the extra receiver in Brendon Rise
and he ended up sticking. And now you look and
it's a similar conversation, right, and and those and again
we always get caught up on the receive. There's always
a pre season receiver that flashes in the pre you
know that flashes and we're like, there's no way they
(20:47):
can put him on the practice squad. And yeah, it's like, yeah,
they can put him on the practice squad and no
one's going to scoop him up. It's fine. And and
I think they still have Jalen Johnson. There's there's right
is that Who it is? It's Jalleen john right, Yeah,
who had a great preseason last year and we're like, ah,
someone's going to scoop him up.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
Nobody ever did.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
It was on the practice squad the whole the whole season.
And I think if they chose to take that path
with Brennan Rice. I don't think anybody's taking him off
the practice squad. I think if they put Jalen Rager there,
there's nobody taking him off the practice squad. So that's
what makes.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
It to me.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
It's not money plays, it's not draft status. It is
going to be a full, full fledged open competition where yeah,
you were taken in the first round, but you know,
second rounders are expected to do big things in this league,
and Trey Harris is going to be expected to produce immediately,
so his draft status might as well be on equal
(21:40):
footing as Cues. I don't think there's any you know,
Lad did it as a second rounder and he's in
the NFL top one hundred players, and I think at
one hundred he's still ranked too low. So like you can,
you can do it. So I think that's why to
your point, Tickney, like that's why this is. You're going
to see Trey Harris start to get those reps. Is
why receiver three, wide receiver two, And then you can
(22:03):
bet your you know your tail that in that Hall
of Fame game and in the preseason you're gonna see
Q out there for sure, and you're gonna see Trey
Harris out there for sure, and that is going to
be a full on competition, and that room is I'm
gonna say it again. I know it got you last year, Daniel,
but they're not keeping seven guys at receiver. They're just
(22:24):
not I can't envision it happening.
Speaker 6 (22:27):
Well, I ended up being more of a procedural thing
because then DJ went on IR like five days later.
So but I will not be listening to you guys
on fifty three I do when I do my annual
pre game radio show appearance, I'm gonna plug my ears
for all of the questions and just few takes.
Speaker 7 (22:44):
I'm not even gonna listen to you guys.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
You know, the biggest wildcard in all of this for
this year specifically, is Mike Williams, because we just have
not seen a healthy Mike Williams in a couple of years.
He got hurt early in that Minnesota game, his last
game is a Charger, and then last year was a
mess for him going to Pittsburgh, Jets to Pittsburgh and
just not really being able to get into a rhythm
with either quarterback.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
So now he's he's.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Back home, comfy confines with the quarterback he loves and respects.
And how good is Mike going to be out of
the gate and can he perform like the Mike Williams
that we.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Saw exactly two years ago as a member of the Chargers.
Speaker 5 (23:21):
To me, yeah, I mean that's a really good question.
We didn't get to see a lot of him during
the off season because he was still kind of working back.
I wasn't covering the Chargers when he was last year,
so I don't I have not watched him play in
person yet, so I'm excited. I want to know what
it's like. I know I love him at the podium
that one day we talked to him. I remember I
(23:42):
walked out, It's great, I asked Pop.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
I was like, is he like that all the time?
Speaker 5 (23:46):
So I really hope that he returns to the level
that not only the team hopes, but also what I
think he hopes for himself. He said last year like
last year was quote terrible. He called himself he terrible.
So I appreciate and respect that kind of self awareness,
and I think he wants to reassert himself in this
(24:07):
league as well. Hopefully he's completely healthy for it.
Speaker 7 (24:10):
So here's let me add one thing. On Mike.
Speaker 6 (24:13):
In order to make plays in training camp, the quarterback
has to throw you the football and Justin Herbert one
of his favorite targets, maybe his favorite target he's ever
played with Mike Williams crunch time. Where was he looking
eighty one? So that is part of the calculus here
that when Mike is on the field, Justin is going
to be looking his way because that trust factor is
(24:36):
already built in, and you look down the rest of
the receiver depth chart, like who has that level of
trust with Justin?
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Already?
Speaker 6 (24:43):
Lad is in that conversation, but outside of that, that
trust factor isn't really there. You know, you have two
rookies that they're building. Quentin, you know, I don't know
if he's ever going to be at that level with
with Justin, just based on how things have gone. So like,
you know, if Mike is healthy and playing training camp,
like I have an expectation that he's gonna be making
a lot of plays because Justin just trusts him, has
(25:06):
always trusted him. And you know, Justin doesn't say a
lot of the podium, but the one thing he did
say during mini camp is like Mike Williams changes the
way you play football, Like that should tell you everything
you need to know about how Justin feels about Mike Williams.
And so I agree with you, Chris, Like maybe a
guy that people aren't talking about as much, but I
feel like he's going to be impactful just because of
(25:26):
that rapport that's there, and like when things are breaking
down late in the down, you know, there aren't a
lot of guys that Justin trusts to throw the ball
up to. That's one guy that he absolutely trusts just
to give him a shot.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
Well, what do you think about this?
Speaker 3 (25:38):
The guy, the guy in New York didn't trust him.
He trusted Garrett Wilson and his guy, Devonte Adams. His
first game is a Steeler, Russell Wilson threw it up
and he made one of his Mike Williams signature touchdown catches.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
Is I think is only as a Steeler.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
So I think he still has it in him and
having that chemistry with Justin, I think is going to pay.
Speaker 1 (25:57):
Dividends for him.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
You mispronounced Garrett Wilson and it's Alan Lazard. We've talked
a lot of Randall Cobb. We've talked a lot of
We've talked a lot of offense. But when you look
at this murderer's row of quarterbacks and offenses and play callers,
(26:18):
and you know it's because look, it's Mike Williams, it's
Justin Herbert, it's a first round draft pick, it's big
Mackay Beckton, like you talked about Tootney and just seeing that.
I don't want to call it a novelty, but it
is kind of You're like, this just doesn't make any sense.
As I'm staring at it on the right side of
the line, like I think we're forgetting that this team
was really carried by Jesse Minner and that defense last year.
(26:40):
And when you look at the lineup of quarterbacks and
teams they went against compared to what it's going to
look like this year. I know it sounds crazy, but
I just I trust the guy. Implicitly. I believe that
much in Jesse Minner as a play caller on that
side of the ball. And if he says we're really
excited to have Dante Jackson and we love the traits
of Ben Saint just and you know we replaced Punaford
(27:03):
with these three guys instead of one, I just I
believe it's gonna work. And I don't know if I'm
crazy for believing that's just placing too much trust into
a guy that just did it for one year against
that schedule, or if we saw enough that no, you should,
because what this guy did last year and putting every
single player in the exact position where they were able
(27:23):
to thrive and play their best football is just this
what this particular coordinator and this group of coaches is
able to do. Like, And I'm hopeful because I really
like them, and I know you're not supposed to, you know,
get emotionally not emotionally attached, but there's just guys you
like in guys you don't, And I really like jesse
Minner and I want to see it work out again
(27:44):
because it's insane that that guy didn't get a single
interview for a head coaching job in the NFL, let
alone in college football.
Speaker 5 (27:51):
Yeah, I mean, I think Joe Hortiz and Jim Harball
would just like to keep him their own secret as
long as they can.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
So maybe like maybe.
Speaker 5 (28:00):
Jesse Miner doesn't want to be talked about, Maybe they
don't want us to talk about him. We should just
keep it on offense anyway, so they can just keeping
to themselves. But yeah, I'm I'm really interested to see
what jesse Mincher can do with this defense that led
the league in points allowed per game in their first year.
(28:20):
How can you improve on being the best defense already?
Speaker 2 (28:24):
You know.
Speaker 5 (28:24):
And one of the interesting things that stood out to
me was Mike Elston said that even though we lost
two starters on the defensive line with Pooniford and Morgan Fox,
he thinks that they're better on the defensive line because
they added nake Won Jones, they added to Sean Hand,
and they also drafted Jamari Caldwell. And I think something
that we talked about initially when we first watched Jamari's
(28:45):
film with Joe Ortiz and we saw him on draft day,
it was like, this guy is giving poona like his
his his film, his skill set, it's giving poona. So
that's a very that's a really exciting and potentially, you know,
easy thing to look for. And like you've you've shown
(29:05):
success with this type of player, You've found a new one.
Let's just keep it rolling.
Speaker 6 (29:12):
Yeah, I'm, I'm it's it's gonna be a fascinating group,
you know. Like I think we talked about earlier and
money sort of mentioned.
Speaker 7 (29:19):
It, like it's it's a really deep group.
Speaker 6 (29:22):
I think, like more than anything, I look at some
of these positions and I'm like, who is going to
be the guy now? They might not like necessarily need it,
Like they might just go with a committee approach at
a bunch of these positions all season long, and that
might work. But I think like last year was probably
an ideal scenario right where they went into it thinking
they were going to go buy committee and they had
(29:43):
some of these guys really emerge. Whether that was obviously
Poonaford on the interior, Christian Fulton played really well over
the first half of the season before he had that
hamstring injury. But you know, I think I'm with you money,
Like I just think the guy's a really good coach.
I think the staff is freaking excellent, and I think
they are just gonna be able to get more out
of less. And that's a blessing and a curse, which
(30:03):
we've talked about, you know, throughout this offseason, Like because
they're such a good staff, the front office might think
maybe they don't need as much and maybe we should
invest more in the offense, which wasn't able to do
more with less and so it becomes a curse a
little bit because jesse minterret to sit and wait until
the third round to get a draft pick, you know,
and then they go back to back with Kyle Knard
(30:24):
in the fourth round too.
Speaker 7 (30:25):
You know, I think there's there's enough there.
Speaker 6 (30:27):
I think the question is, you know, with the schedule
being much tougher, are they going to be that type
of defense, you know, where they're top ten or is
it going to be more middle of the pack. I
don't see them being a bad defense ever, Like I
think just if you give them enough pieces and enough depth,
they're going to.
Speaker 7 (30:42):
Be able to to put it together.
Speaker 6 (30:44):
And you do have enough you know, star power to
be that type of middle of the pack defense.
Speaker 7 (30:49):
You still have Khalil Mack, you still have Derwin James.
But I'm gonna be.
Speaker 6 (30:53):
Fascinated to see, like, is it going to be like
last year where they're able to get some of these
guys to become, you know, those blue chip type players.
It does Dante Jackson have seven picks, you know, Jamari Caldwell,
DeShawn Hand one of those guys they emerge and have
that type of production on the interior, or are they
gonna have to take a different approach this year and
really lean into that depth and play a bunch of
guys and be more of a bi committee type defense.
Speaker 7 (31:15):
That's really what I'm looking at.
Speaker 3 (31:17):
I mean, you know, I go back to Michigan when
when Minter was there. You know, one year you have
a Jabo and Aiden hutchinsons the is the go to guys.
The next year you have guys like Chris Jenkins and
Mason Graham on the interior that kind of carry the
day for him. So Justesse's been so good at just
kind of playing to the personnel that he has and
just going going to.
Speaker 1 (31:38):
The edge group. Obviously, no more Joey Bosa.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
We know Tooley's gonna step into that role, and we
know who Khalil Mack is obviously. Do you guys think
that there's enough behind those two or is it something
where a veteran you know, we named some some some
older guys that are still on the open market that
maybe could could fill a need on third down or
you know, kind of supplements of snaps from an edge perspective,
(32:02):
do you think they need somebody else at edge or
do you think they're good where they're at.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
I mean, I think it's it's a wait and see right,
it's I was really surprised at how thick Canard was
that that kind of that that that was one of
the first things that jumped out at me when the
rookies hit the field And look at the guy that
led the league and you know, led his conference in
sacks and the most competitive conference in football. So you
certainly got you know, a base there that that they
(32:28):
can work with. I think we're all, you know, I
think going into last year, we all expected Tully to
take a huge step just based on what he did
and how many you know, just sack creation. You know,
it wasn't he didn't get the sacks, but the sacks
he created. We were like, okay, this now that you
know he's kind of more of a guy, it's it's
going to happen. And so I think we I still
(32:49):
expect that, I still you know, suspect that he's got
that that in and we saw it at SC you know,
and we saw it his rookie season. So the Khalil
Mack part of it's an interesting question because is why
would we you know, it's the Tom Brady effect, right, like,
why are we doubting this, this great, this this potential
Hall of Famer that's proven that age is just a
number when it comes to him and his work ethic
(33:10):
and how you know. But I do think we've seen
a little you know, that athleticism drop off a little
bit in the last couple of years from Khalil. So
it's an interesting question because there are guys out there,
right I think Zadari's still out there, von Miller's still
out there. It does is there a bud to pre
like player that you'd be able to get, you know,
an older veteran that's coming in as this past specialist
(33:31):
And does that make sense for one of the fifty
three spots? And what we talked about is a pretty
deep team.
Speaker 6 (33:37):
Yeah, I think they're fine. I would be surprised if
they went and brought in another veteran because it felt
like all off season it was like they got to
get younger here, they got to get younger here, They
got to bring in a player who, you know, if
Kalil Mack has done after this season, can you know,
be sort of an ascending, promising player to give them
sort of an exit plan post Khalil.
Speaker 7 (33:57):
You know, it's not the group.
Speaker 6 (33:59):
It was last year, you know, even though Bosa was
playing through the injury, Like it felt like the edge
group was the engine of the defense and they built
everything around that group. I don't know if that's necessarily
going to be the case this year, but I think,
you know, at the end of the day, like it
revolves around tu Lee, as Money alluded to, like, I
think he has the capacity to be an elite edge player,
(34:21):
and I think you have to also bring in Okay,
you know, he played the second most special team snaps
of anyone on the roster last year. How much was
that affecting his play on defense. If he's not in
that role this year and can focus exclusively on defense,
you know what happens to the production not just sacks,
but obviously you know pressures as well, and also just
you know, down to downplay.
Speaker 7 (34:42):
So I think the group is fine.
Speaker 6 (34:44):
I loved kal Kinnard coming out, so I thought it
was a really good pick in the fourth round. I
see a ton of upside, as Money alluded to, Like
he's got the length and the size, and you put
him in a room with Khalil Mack and you feel
like you're going to be able to harness some.
Speaker 7 (34:57):
Of that power that he showed off in college.
Speaker 6 (35:00):
So I don't know if it's necessarily like going to
be the engine of the team like it was last year,
but I.
Speaker 7 (35:04):
Feel like it's a it's a solid group.
Speaker 6 (35:06):
I would probably look elsewhere in terms of like, Okay,
these are the positions they might look to improve in
late August.
Speaker 5 (35:12):
Yeah, I feel like they're so excited about Tooley, and
I'm I'm interested to see what Tuley can do when
this is his spot.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
I feel like when even though.
Speaker 5 (35:22):
Joey was hurt for a really long time and he
didn't play a lot, it still felt like Tooley was
the backup who was elevated, whereas now this is this
is his spot. He's empowered to be a starter. Jim
Harbond named him as one of his Elite nine now ten.
Speaker 7 (35:39):
Hardars of the Team.
Speaker 2 (35:41):
Shout out to Josh hars Uh.
Speaker 5 (35:44):
So Touley is empowered and supported to have a starring role,
and I'm really interested to see how he'll respond when
when those kind of expectations not not necessarily expectations in
a bad way, but just like you're allowed to take
up more space, you're allowed to produce more in this way,
(36:08):
like the spot is open for him.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
And I think, as you know, we've seen him as
a local guy.
Speaker 5 (36:13):
He grew up here in southern California, went to college here.
We've seen him for a long time, always produce in
every spot that he's been giving.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
Yeah, no question, guys.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
Is there any other position battles that we didn't talk
about that you think fans should maybe have their eyes
on first few days of camp.
Speaker 4 (36:32):
Well, I don't know if i'd call it a battle,
but I'm certainly interested to see how it looks with
a healthy non app and deck to meet Junior Colson
out there with Dayon Henley, because that you talked about
the engine of the defense, Like that could be the
engine of this defense if Colson's who we think he
is and Deayon's and I believe Deon's going to be
in the conversation as the best off ball linebacker in
(36:54):
the league in short order, Like that's the one I'm
looking at on that side of the ball.
Speaker 7 (36:59):
Yeah, that was the one I was gonna bring up.
Speaker 6 (37:01):
Sorry, Daniel, No, No, it's it's it's a great point
I go back to, like there's certain moments in training
camp that just stick in your mind.
Speaker 7 (37:09):
You know.
Speaker 6 (37:09):
One that's always stuck in my mind is like, We'shawn
Slater's first rep in one on one pass pro against
Joey Bosa when he was coming out in twenty twenty one.
You just like, Okay, that guy's gonna be good, right,
Like I think, you just have those moments. I remember
last year in training camp, I was staying it next
to Money. It was like Junior's first time back and
team drills and they were doing a nine on seven
run drill and he just explodes through the line of scrimmage,
(37:30):
blows up a screen pass and we look at each
other and it's just like you have that moment like.
Speaker 7 (37:34):
Yeah, he's gonna be good.
Speaker 6 (37:36):
So I think, like, you know, there's a lot of
parallels between dayon Junior. You know, Dayan is a rookie,
had that hamstring injury in the preseason, never really was
able to find his footing, get snaps on defense. It
kind of just derailed his rookie season. And it was
very similar with Junior, you know, between the app and deck.
To me, he gets back on the field, he has
an ankle injury, he goes on ir and never really
(38:00):
found his footing. Day On in year two emerges as
a breakout season. I could see a very similar path
for Junior, but he's again like you go down the list,
it's like, Okay, this guy should start, but they've got
other options, right, Like, I think they love what Denzel
brings if he can stay healthy, you know, as a
as a run defender in his violence and physicality, and
Troy Die played some really good ball on defense, right,
(38:22):
So it's like he's got to be in the mix
based on how he played last year, and he saw
the contract he signed, so obviously they value him. So
it's going to be a fun competition there. I think,
like you know, Davarro Bowman sort of said it during
the offseason where he was like, we have a plan
as far as what we want to happen. I think,
you know, the indication there is that, like they want
day On and Junior next to each other, but like
everywhere else, he's gonna have to earn.
Speaker 7 (38:42):
It's gonna fascinating to watch.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
I totally agree.
Speaker 5 (38:46):
I'm really excited to see Junior see what he can
do in his second season. The other thing I would
I would be interested in is again, I don't know
if this is a competition, and we briefly mentioned him,
but I want to see what Tarkeep still can do
in his second year. He had a really breakout rookie season.
(39:07):
I think they thought of him mostly as kind of
a nickel guy, and we watched him during the off
season line.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
Up a lot at the outside.
Speaker 5 (39:14):
I know versatility is a big part of what that
secondary does, so I'm interested to see if he can
become one of those outside corner guys or if that
was just kind of an experiment they're going to try.
Who knows, and then what he stills progression means for
Cam Hart.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
I think Cam both of them fifth round picks.
Speaker 5 (39:35):
I think Cam got slowed down a little bit with
some injuries, and he also was out most of the
off season with that shoulder injury. And what he's going
to be able to do when when they get back.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
So what those two fifth rounders now in.
Speaker 5 (39:49):
Their second year can kind of progress into for the
Chargers on that defense.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
You know, I'll name one guy from that class too,
and it would just you look, Joe Horty's what he
did with with All and Ladd in the first two rounds.
If Junior pops away, that I think a lot of
us expect him to in year two. You mentioned the
two fifth round corners. What about that fourth round defensive
tackle that they keep saying put on thirty pounds of
muscle and has been in the weight room and maybe
(40:17):
can make that lead from year one to year two
and Justin a boy bee, I mean, if he can
be a key part of that rotation. Just look at
that draft class that Joe put together last year with
all of those guys contributing, that could be something. And
then you know, Bunny, we always know that there's gonna
be rookies that.
Speaker 1 (40:34):
Pop at some point.
Speaker 3 (40:35):
So you know, Gatson seems to be the one that
they got a lot of buzz this offseason and just
adding him to that tight ends room it seems to
be a good thing for Justin Herbert company.
Speaker 4 (40:46):
I'll just finish with that, and a button on it
is that remember that goes both ways. Like, look, draft
picks are great, but you know they had what eight
this year, ten last year. There's a lot of young guys,
So the idea that they're all going to hit and
somehow it's it's a failure if they all don't. Like
that's a lot of young dudes. So when Cornelius Johnson
(41:09):
and Brendan Rice and the seventh you know, if it's Triquez,
Bridges and Mickens, like if for some reason those guys
are on the practice squad and they need to be developed,
like it's perfectly normal. It's perfectly normal. Like, you know,
not every fourth rounder is going to come in and
be Max Crosby from the jump. You know, there are
justin a boy be's out there that just need time,
(41:30):
you know, and you got to develop them and you
hope that they're able to take that next step. So
would you like all of your draft picks to be
great and stick with the team. Absolutely, But as we
saw last year, you know, it's just not it's not
necessarily the way that it that it always works out.
Speaker 7 (41:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (41:46):
And it's a spectrum too, right, Like a fourth round
pick hitting doesn't mean that guy becomes an all pro. Like,
if that guy can carve out a role in any
capacity on the roster, then that can still be categorized
as a as a hit on the pick. So I
think that's what you're looking for or for some of
these later round draft picks, can they come in and
be an impact special teams player. Can they give you
fifteen snaps a game on the interior as a defensive lineman,
(42:08):
like those are still value adds to the team. And
I think that's that gets lost a little bit, that
there is a spectrum, there's nuance to you know, hitting,
so to speak on draft picks.
Speaker 5 (42:18):
I think something that I was thinking about earlier is
I was talking to Raean about something in the locker
room and he said, people forget that the NFL.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
People are still allowed to develop. In the NFL. You
don't just show up and you're who you are forever.
Speaker 5 (42:33):
People have long careers if like you said, pop, like
just carve out small roles every single year and that's
that success and that helps you stick around. So just
because they don't appear to be this this starter immediately,
like you know, we love to celebrate a rookie like
Ladd or Joe Joealt and they are were off to
(42:58):
great careers as well, But that doesn't mean that if
you don't hit immediately and you don't become a star
in your first year, like, that doesn't mean that you're
you don't have potential to still stick around for a
long time in this league.
Speaker 4 (43:09):
Yeah, and I'll just quickly before we get out of here, Chris,
I'll just say two words. Dean Leonard. Yeah, what a
sixth seventh round pick. One of their best special teams players.
And last year before he got hurt, we were like,
ooh that that might be their outside corner. So like that,
that's there's still potential for Dean Leonard to make this team.
And because he is that good on special teams, and
you would assume Ryan Ficken's going to fight for him
(43:31):
to keep him on the fifty three. And man, we
thought he was tracking to be that guy, not tarheb
Still or cam Hart. You know that that he was
going to end up being that dude opposite Chrisian Fulton
that was going to get out there, you know, or
with the Sante Samuel. I should say that it was
going to be part of that mix.
Speaker 1 (43:45):
Yep, guys, this was fun.
Speaker 3 (43:47):
Well I have to do this again when the fifty
three gets released, so Poper can can either celebrate or.
Speaker 7 (43:55):
I'll only join. I will only join in celebration.
Speaker 3 (43:59):
This is the year's gonna to the highs and lows
is gonna join us.
Speaker 1 (44:03):
We know that to me will be here. So I
got to bring.
Speaker 2 (44:06):
Back the number so I hope I can be back.
Speaker 4 (44:09):
He's our key to the Number Game. We got to
bring back the Number Game this year, boys and gal.
As a matter of fact, we have to Yes, you
were not here when we ran when when our when
our man Eric ran the Number Game. But it's time
I think to uh, were you here, Popper, you were
here right when we were running it? Or no, you're
looking at me kind of quizzical.
Speaker 7 (44:26):
Refresh my memory.
Speaker 4 (44:27):
When we uh, we each get to pull. I think
we pull three numbers and uh, if they're no, we
pull one number. You pull one number, so zero through nine,
it's the last number of a jersey, and whichever number
amasses the most points you win the week. And we
did it with all the all the beat writers and
(44:47):
us in the booth. And it was a fun way
to uh get a little extra something in the game.
In case it gets away from you, thank you keep
keep yourself interested. It's it's something we got to bring
back this year. Absolutely for us to to get the
get the interaction.
Speaker 7 (45:03):
It's pure though it's purely it's pure lock.
Speaker 4 (45:06):
There's no pure lock, yes, pure luck. But going into
the game, you would be like, oh, got eight. It's
a bad run. D you know, I got you know,
and and so like you would get those, you'd get
the zero from Austin and you'd be all jacked, and
then you'd kind of think about good defense and you'd
pull the kicker and you're like, oh, kicker might be
the way to guy. It's just it's pure lock. You're
(45:27):
just pulling the number out of a out of a hat.
But you know, there's wild.
Speaker 7 (45:33):
I think I think that might have been my first
might have been your first season.
Speaker 4 (45:36):
Let's bring it back though, Let's let's let's discuss it
at training camp. And that's the most important thing to
come out of this podcast today.
Speaker 1 (45:42):
Game back starting in sal Paulo.
Speaker 4 (45:45):
That's right. Appreciate you starting canting, Chris. Pre season pre
seasons plenty.
Speaker 3 (45:54):
It's for those who are watching this. You probably see
it all a Friday. We're taping this on a Thursday,
so exactly three weeks we will have preseason football and
can't Ohio, Detroit.
Speaker 1 (46:05):
Lions, Chargers, Baby, let's go alright, guys, for tu me,
for Popper, and for money. I'm Chris. This has been
Chargers Week.
Late fifteen ten touched up Well, what's up?
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Guys?
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Welcome into a brand new episode of Chargers Weekly. We
are one week away from Chargers Training Camp as op
Boy's joined by the voice of the Chargers Matt Muddy
Smith and Buddy, a pair of special guests to get
us ready.
Speaker 4 (00:24):
For Camp Yeah Camp one week from today. I saw
all of the dates that were posted on the seventh
of July already gone sold out, So make sure you
keep checking Chargers dot com for those training camp tickets.
And I guess we'll just get started. To me, why
don't you start is you don't have an opportunity to
join us very often because Chris doesn't invite you because
he's a jerk.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Oh it's my fault, it's right.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
It is just kind of your thoughts on the first
thing that just comes to mind when you hear training
Camp July seventeenth, where your eyes are going to go
and what you're looking at.
Speaker 5 (00:58):
My first thought is, oh, my gosh, I don't have
any summer left. First of all, I wish I would
have enjoyed my summer vacation more. Second thought is I
believe everyone is really excited to see what this rookie
class can do. I think Jim Harbaugh said earlier this
offseason that this is the hardest working, most focused rookie
class he's ever been around in his experience of football.
(01:21):
So I'm excited to see if they can kind of
live up to that billing. Aroonda Gadson was one of
the rookies who really popped later in mini camp, So
we'll see what he can do and when the pads
come on and they start playing some or at least
getting ready to play some real football, you.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Know, Popper, we were talking about this last week, just
all the storylines entering training camp. If you had to
pinpoint the top storyline entering camp, the number one thing
we would be talking about next week, what would it be.
Speaker 6 (01:48):
I'm gonna cheat a little bit and go with sort
of a broad storyline. I'm really looking forward to watching
all of the competition because it feels like there's probably
three position groups that are going to be very, very
hotly contested in terms of making the roster the fifty
three men, and also in terms of starting spots. You know,
corner I think is going to be highly highly competitive.
(02:10):
You know, obviously you have Tarib Still and Cam Hart
returning to veterans they signed in freegency, and Dante Jackson
in Benjamin sat Juice. You talk about the interior defensive line,
which feels like a very deep group to me. But
I think the question is who's going to be that
top end producer that emerges from that group and then receiver.
You know, Tukne just mentioned the rookies. Two of those rookies,
Trey Harris and KeAndre Lambert Smith. In that room, you
(02:32):
have Mike Williams, you have Quintin Johnston, who is going
to be battling for playing time potentially.
Speaker 7 (02:36):
A roster spot.
Speaker 6 (02:37):
Who are the guys that sort of emerge around Lad McConkey. So,
and there's even more position groups that you can point to,
but it just feels like with the way they built
this roster, it's deep and there's gonna be a lot
of competition, and I'm really curious to see sort of
who emerges in these position groups to be that sort
of blue chip, top end guy that they can rely on.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
Yeah, Chris, I think like this time of year, we
get in Popper can attest to this, We get focused
on the fifty three and we get focused on you know,
those last five players when really, you know, it's just
a it's it's I don't know, it comes with the
job and the time of year, but really it's about
who's going to play, Like who's going to snatch these spots?
(03:18):
And like that's what's more interesting than spots forty eight
through fifty three. Is it gonna be Tarheeb and cam Hart?
And is Derwin gonna be the big nickel is? Like
you said, Popper, and I think you alluded to it, Tonee,
Like is Quentin gonna be receiver? I'd say three? Like
if Mike Williams is healthy, is he receiver?
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Three?
Speaker 4 (03:35):
Is he receiver?
Speaker 5 (03:36):
Two?
Speaker 7 (03:36):
Like? What?
Speaker 4 (03:37):
That's sort of the more interesting part of training camp
to me, as opposed to us trying to figure out
if John Taylor and Dean Leonard are going to make
this team or are they going to carry an extra safety?
What about all their draft picks? Like there is I
think to your point, Daniel, like there is serious competition
for these starting positions. It's a deep team. I love
(03:59):
that it's a deep It feels way there's way more
depth than there have been in the patent than there
has been in the past. But I don't know what
this starting lineup's going to look like when they take
their first snap in Brazil on the fifth of September.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Yeah, you know, and guys, one of the position groups
I think that the fans have talked about a lot
and we've talked about certainly a lot this off season
is interior offensive line and just what that starting five
is going to look like. I guess maybe from like
a ten thousand foot view took me and then Popper,
just your initial thoughts on what they did this offseason
(04:30):
across the offensive line and how you think that may
look throughout the course of training camp.
Speaker 5 (04:34):
To me, first of all, I think it's interesting to
point that it seems very fitting that a Jim Harbaugh
team would have like the number one topic being offensive line.
That seems very appropriate for kind of like the the
ethos of this team of what this group is trying
to build in terms of their identity. So, yeah, we
(04:57):
saw them flip flop back and forth with Zion John
starting at center, Bradley Bozeman left guard. Then the next
day they switched, and that's kind of a big thing
that we're all going to be looking for in terms
of that starting offensive line because for Sean is for
San Slater is set at left tackle.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
McKai Beckton was that big, literal big uh free.
Speaker 5 (05:17):
Agent signing and they're going to put him in at
right guard immediately. And then Joe all is coming off
a really strong rookie year at right tackle. And when
you just speaking to that right side, specifically, when you
put McKay, Beckton and Joe next to each other, it's
like comically large, comically large humans standing next to each
other as like a small person myself, Like it's almost
(05:42):
frightening to stand next to those people.
Speaker 6 (05:45):
Yeah, let the record show I did not bring up
the interior of the offensive line first this time for you.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
To speak on it.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
I just logged you.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Before you before you go further, Popper, just because I
don't want you to think I'm I'm taking your content.
But it's great content at the athletic and I love
that you pointed out, like, hey, calm down. You know
how this front office works. They're going to get a
look at it, and if they decide it's not right,
then that's when they go shopping. And that's kind of
how Georatives did it last year.
Speaker 7 (06:16):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 6 (06:17):
I mean they went into training camp thinking that they
were probably going to have to bring in a third
safety last year, but they had aj Finley who had
shown some flashes and they let him play a bunch
during training camp to see if he could be that
guy that could play next to a Lohi Gillman. When
they moved Derwin James around, they came to the conclusion that, like, hey,
we need to be a little bit better here, and
they identified Elijah Moulden as a guy who could potentially
(06:38):
be available.
Speaker 7 (06:39):
I think it's gonna be a.
Speaker 6 (06:39):
Similar process this year, and they they believe that that
Zion has a shot to be a good center, Like
they truly truly believe that. I think a lot of
it is unknown because he's never played there, and they're
really going back to, you know, the reps he had
in the Senior Bowl, you know, in the pre draft
process when he was playing there and showed some signs
of life as a potential senate. So in terms of
(07:01):
the approach, like you know, the guard market went crazy
in free agency, so I don't think it was you know,
ridiculous for them to sort of look for value. You know,
Will Fry's signs for over eighty million dollars, you know,
money and I we talked about the Aaron Banks contract before.
I was fine with how they sort of approached free agency.
You know, I personally, based on how that Houston game
(07:23):
went and the weakness that was the interior of the
offensive line last season, would have probably invested more. But
and the you know, the way everything shook out in
terms of their board in the draft, they ended up
going more with past catching weapons to try and improve offensively,
and they're going to try and figure it out at
left guard and center. I think that, like in a
(07:43):
perfect world, what they would like is for Zion to
move to center and be very comfortable there, and then
they slide Bradley Boseman at left guard and they feel
like that will be an improvement. I have to see it.
That's sort of where I'm at. I have to see
them with the pads on. I have to see how
they perform, you know. You know, it feels a little
bit like, you know, they're trying to flip these guys around.
Speaker 7 (08:02):
They think there's going to be significant improvement, but.
Speaker 6 (08:04):
I have to see it before I really believe that,
you know, they're going to have dramatic improvement. I think
the big question is and we can get everyone's thoughts
on this, like the Mackai Beckton signing, like they feel
like inserting him in and having him play is going
to drastically improve the interior because you have a much
better player there as sort of a force multiplier.
Speaker 7 (08:25):
And I can certainly see that logic.
Speaker 6 (08:27):
But again, like where I'm at is like let's see him,
what the pads on, Let's see what it looks like,
and then we can sort of get a sense of
like is this going to be a dramatic improvement or
an incremental improvement or no improvement.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
I think when people talk O line, you know, they
just inherently visualize pass protection and sack prevention. And for
this team, it has been a fight with one hand
tied behind your back and the run game for the
last half decade. So the idea that like it's even
when it was Trey and alltlast year, We're like, why
(09:01):
can they not run?
Speaker 7 (09:02):
Right?
Speaker 4 (09:02):
What is going on? Like the idea that now you have,
like you talked about too, and like these people movers,
these massive humans to be able to run the ball
that side, to be able to run the ball behind Slater,
who's exceptional in that phase of the game. Like that
just opens up a ton if you know McKay Beckton
(09:22):
isn't an elite pass protector. If they can just unlock
that on that side, and we know Zion's a good
run blocker, he's fine if he goes back to left
guard and with Rashan, if there's just some way for
them to at least get that going, Like, I just
want to see what this team looks like with a
legitimate run game where play action is working and Herbert's
(09:43):
got time to throw because play action is working, because
you have to honor it when the guy's taking a
play action fake and run into the right side instead
of them saying, you know whatever, And just to kind
of backend that real quick because I like hearing myself
talk like remember guards like Trace, it's going to get
paid twenty four million dollars as a guy that was
taking in the sixth round. You know, Kenyon Green and
(10:04):
Zion Johnson are struggling as first round pack you can
find you could find guards.
Speaker 7 (10:09):
You know, you have the draft them money, you do.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
But I think that's kind of like what you were
alluding to, Like the way their board fell, it's unfortunate
that they didn't take that shot. Now they got one
in the sixth round. Okay, I've talked to some people
about Branson Taylor. I know nothing about him. I didn't
even bother watching any film. I had no idea. But
there are people inside that building that are very excited
(10:31):
about the strength that he possesses and what they believe
he could look like as a guard. So I think
I'm not saying he's going to be the next Tray Smith.
I'm saying it was a flyer on a tackle that
was injured, but he profiled as a guard to some
people that I really trust what they think, and they
think he's got a shot. So that's that's all I'm saying.
I'm not putting my neck out there is dying on
(10:53):
Branson Taylor Hill. I'm saying, like, that's what what I
was told.
Speaker 6 (10:58):
Yeah, I guess, like, yeah, just one more, Yeah, go ahead,
christ go Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Sorry, No, I was just gonna reference something that you
had in your notebook about the wide receivers and listen,
if we had like a blame pie like what happened
in Houston. Obviously, you know the offensive line struggled, but
you know the running game, I think averaged less than
three yards per carry, and I think that goes hand
in hand with the offensive line. But you mentioned getting
these weapons on the outside for Justin. But now this
(11:25):
completely revamped running game with Najie Harris and Omari and Hampton,
you wonder how much debt is going to contribute to
success offensively.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
JK was hurt at the end of the year.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
Gus just for whatever reason, didn't have it last year,
and he was hurt at the beginning of the year.
So I just I look at this kind of revamped
running game. It's such a such an integral part of
what they want to do this year, and I wonder
if that elevates to play the offensive line to the
play of the running backs behind them.
Speaker 6 (11:54):
Yeah, I think ultimately, like there's two ways to go
about it. Like I think everyone would agree that the
interior offensive line was a weakness last year. There's you know,
one way is to drastically improve your personnel. But if
the market doesn't shake out in a way where you
can drastically improve your personnel via the draft and free agency,
then you have to pivot to some other way to improve.
(12:15):
And the other way to improve is to drastically improve
the personnel around those players to try and get more
out of them and take some of the weight off
their shoulders. And I think they leaned more towards the
second route because of how everything shook out. And so
you get a bunch of more weapons who can win
against man coverage and help in some of those third
down situations where Justin Herbert wasn't very good last year
when he faced man, you know on third down. They
(12:36):
get better at running back like they did obviously bring
McKai back to and we'll see if he can improve
the running game. And so, like, I think that's sort
of the approach, right, like you build everything around you know,
you try a swap with Bradley Boseman and Zion Johnson.
You see if a better running game, more options in
the passing game can alleviate some of the issues you
had on the offensive line last year. And I listen,
(12:57):
I understand the process, and I think there's certainly logic
to believing that if you can build a better running game,
then you can take some of that pressure off of
your offensive line.
Speaker 5 (13:06):
Yeah, it's not like they didn't do anything or like
they didn't they didn't make any moves toward building the roster,
because the other thing that we were everyone was shouting
about was like, make sure you get more playmakers for
Justin Herbert, and they definitely did that. They addressed that
in the draft, bringing in like Popper mentioned, kls Keander,
Allan burpt Smith, Trey Harris, Arondi Gatson, who's really who
(13:30):
really flashed during mini camp.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
So I think there is there's.
Speaker 5 (13:34):
Just a lot of changes, and I'm excited to see
what they can do dur in training camp when they
put the pads on and they they really start preparing
in earnest and see what this team will actually look like,
because like like you said, Pop, like you got to
show it, right, you got to show it. Especially in
the offensive line, There's not really much you can kind
of discern from these, you know, practices without pads and
(13:56):
everyone no one's trying to get hurt at this time.
So I think there's still a lot to see in
terms of what they can do, especially on offense with
all these changes.
Speaker 7 (14:05):
Yeah, one hundred percent.
Speaker 6 (14:06):
And then like you go to that Houston game and
like obviously the protection was an issue, but they also
had nobody else outside of aladmcconkey's you could absolutely say
like that you look at what happened last year, look
at what happened in the playoffs, and be like, you know, yes,
the protection was an issue, but our biggest weakness was
actually that we had one guy that could actually make plays.
Like you go to the rest of the receivers in
that game, it was two catches for fourteen yards, and
(14:28):
so like, I understand it. I understand it just like
I from my experience covering football, like I'm always going
to try and build my offensive line, like that's going
to be my approach. And you know, Tutne brought up
the ethos of the team, like if you want to
be a big, bruising, mauling, physical line of scrimmage team,
then it takes investment.
Speaker 7 (14:49):
And that's that's sort of my approach on it.
Speaker 5 (14:52):
And we saw this that succeed last year with the Eagles,
like they that was their calling card and then they got.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
One of those beat the hell out of everybody the
one mistake that and I know, I look, I'm as
guilty of it as anyone is. You know, you kind
of forget that other pieces can improve other parts of
the team, like the idea that they're running. And I'm
not trying to take shots at these guys, but it's
just not what they do. You're having Tucker Fisk run routes.
You've got Eric Tomlinson out there, Hayden Hurst was never
(15:22):
right from the jump, and you know Will Disley is
now forced into catching fifty balls on eighty targets, and
you just bring in Tyler Conklin, Like, I don't think
people recognize what a huge upgrade that is a guy
that can run routes and catch balls and is a
viable red zone target. You know that Omari and Hampton
a back that has juice, a physical, punishing back with
(15:44):
legit juice to take it seventy five to the house
every time he touches that. Like that, all of that
is part of the can we solve? And you mentioned
it earlier? Is that part of this? Like, it's not
just a one anth a riddle. There's a million different
ways to answer it, and I think when you kind
of take it into totality, it appears as though they
(16:07):
addressed it a heck of a lot better than just
why didn't we sign Will Fries, Why didn't we draft
a center in the second round. You know, it's kind
of like, well, all of these pieces combined. Now, whether
or not it works, I can't say, but I do
think there were other ways, like you alluded to with
the pass catchers, Popper, that like, yeah, they're trying to
figure it out.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
You know.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Let's not forget that the first pick of the Hortes
hardball era was Joe all Over, Molik Neighbors and some
of those other talented.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Receivers at the top of the draft.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
So I think that these guys are just they're picking
the best football player for the team. And at that
point when Amari and Hampton was on the board of
twenty two, I think a lot of us thought that
maybe Amaran Hampton would have gone a little bit earlier
to Dallas perhaps, or you know, based on where Genti
went at six. So I do agree with the playmaking
aspect of this bringing in all these different receivers, and
(16:58):
that's what's fascinating. I know that was also your mailbag, Popper,
and took me a love for you to chime into
on this, just the pecking order of wide receiver and
then add tie into that with Conklin and Gatst and
to go with the year that Disley had like, how
do you see this wide receiver room shaking out? Let's
say one to four, because you know Quintin's certainly in
the mix, but depending on how quickly Trey Harris gets
(17:20):
up the speed this, this could be his job for
the taking as well.
Speaker 5 (17:25):
Yeah, it's really I mean, obviously, lad first, that's an easy,
easy one to put in there. I think when we
talked to Sanjay Lowell, he said that Quentin Johnston is
a starter and we're treating him as a starter. We
told him he's a starter, and that's really one of
the big things that I'm looking for is like, if
they're giving this to him, if they're setting this example.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
Then can he hold on to it?
Speaker 5 (17:51):
Because I think that's a big part of this team,
is like you want to empower him, but also you
need to push him. So I'm really curious to see
what Tray Harris can do. I think he started flashing
in Rookie Mini Caamp and in Mini Camp KeAndre Lambert
Smith was hurt toward the end, as was Mike Williams.
So I think there's a lot of changes that will
be happening, and there's gonna be a lot of shuffling
(18:13):
in that wide receiver order.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
I don't know what you think, Pop.
Speaker 6 (18:17):
Yeah, I mean I expect Quentin to be wide receiver
four at the start of the season. Like I think
you're gonna have Trey Harris and.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
Mike September like when September hits won.
Speaker 6 (18:27):
Yeah, I like, I mean, you can look at what
they say, or you can look at what they do.
Speaker 7 (18:33):
I always prefer to look at what they do.
Speaker 6 (18:35):
And so they went out this offseason and brought in
three receivers who play primarily on the outside, which is
where Quinton plays for the Chargers. And that tells me
that they wanted significantly more competition, at minimum at the position.
And so you know, I think Quentin's gonna have to
earn it. I think he's gonna have to earn his
(18:56):
spot on the roster. I think he's gonna have to
earn his playing time. And that's just what the culture is, right.
Like I wrote this in the mail bag that like,
you know, those who produced will stay, like Jim said
that in the little video that they put out last July,
and it was hanging in the locker room all season,
like you have to show up, you have to play
well to earn your spot on the team. I think
(19:18):
last year you had a situation where they just didn't
have any other options. This year, they've created a scenario
where they have many other options, and you're gonna have
a ton of competition as far as who's gonna be
playing alongside Lad mconkee, and they've created a scenario where
Quintin's going to have to earn it, and I'm.
Speaker 7 (19:34):
Excited to see it.
Speaker 6 (19:35):
Like if he showed he has all of the talent
in the world, if he shows up and plays well,
there's a path for him to play a lot for
this team. But he's gonna have to show up and
he's gonna have to play well, and we'll see that
and figure that out in training him.
Speaker 5 (19:50):
And we saw Trey Harris start moving up a little
bit because at the beginning of their sessions together, it
was Lad, Quintin and Jalen rieger Rager at the first
three receivers, and then toward the end we saw Trey
Harris move into Jalen spot. So we're already seeing Trey
Harris progress and like you know, Quentin Is could be
(20:11):
the next guy that he's going to run down.
Speaker 4 (20:14):
Yeah, it's Look, it's that this is where we get
into the whole fifty three conversation, right because and it's
a it's a sore spot for Popper because of the
extra receiver.
Speaker 7 (20:23):
Thet year New year.
Speaker 4 (20:26):
Yeah, yes, that we went through this last year. There's
no way they'll keep the extra receiver in Brendon Rise
and he ended up sticking. And now you look and
it's a similar conversation, right, and and those and again
we always get caught up on the receive. There's always
a pre season receiver that flashes in the pre you
know that flashes and we're like, there's no way they
(20:47):
can put him on the practice squad. And yeah, it's like, yeah,
they can put him on the practice squad and no
one's going to scoop him up. It's fine. And and
I think they still have Jalen Johnson. There's there's right
is that Who it is? It's Jalleen john right, Yeah,
who had a great preseason last year and we're like, ah,
someone's going to scoop him up.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
Nobody ever did.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
It was on the practice squad the whole the whole season.
And I think if they chose to take that path
with Brennan Rice. I don't think anybody's taking him off
the practice squad. I think if they put Jalen Rager there,
there's nobody taking him off the practice squad. So that's
what makes.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
It to me.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
It's not money plays, it's not draft status. It is
going to be a full, full fledged open competition where yeah,
you were taken in the first round, but you know,
second rounders are expected to do big things in this league,
and Trey Harris is going to be expected to produce immediately,
so his draft status might as well be on equal
(21:40):
footing as Cues. I don't think there's any you know,
Lad did it as a second rounder and he's in
the NFL top one hundred players, and I think at
one hundred he's still ranked too low. So like you can,
you can do it. So I think that's why to
your point, Tickney, like that's why this is. You're going
to see Trey Harris start to get those reps. Is
why receiver three, wide receiver two, And then you can
(22:03):
bet your you know your tail that in that Hall
of Fame game and in the preseason you're gonna see
Q out there for sure, and you're gonna see Trey
Harris out there for sure, and that is going to
be a full on competition, and that room is I'm
gonna say it again. I know it got you last year, Daniel,
but they're not keeping seven guys at receiver. They're just
(22:24):
not I can't envision it happening.
Speaker 6 (22:27):
Well, I ended up being more of a procedural thing
because then DJ went on IR like five days later.
So but I will not be listening to you guys
on fifty three I do when I do my annual
pre game radio show appearance, I'm gonna plug my ears
for all of the questions and just few takes.
Speaker 7 (22:44):
I'm not even gonna listen to you guys.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
You know, the biggest wildcard in all of this for
this year specifically, is Mike Williams, because we just have
not seen a healthy Mike Williams in a couple of years.
He got hurt early in that Minnesota game, his last
game is a Charger, and then last year was a
mess for him going to Pittsburgh, Jets to Pittsburgh and
just not really being able to get into a rhythm
with either quarterback.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
So now he's he's.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Back home, comfy confines with the quarterback he loves and respects.
And how good is Mike going to be out of
the gate and can he perform like the Mike Williams
that we.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Saw exactly two years ago as a member of the Chargers.
Speaker 5 (23:21):
To me, yeah, I mean that's a really good question.
We didn't get to see a lot of him during
the off season because he was still kind of working back.
I wasn't covering the Chargers when he was last year,
so I don't I have not watched him play in
person yet, so I'm excited. I want to know what
it's like. I know I love him at the podium
that one day we talked to him. I remember I
(23:42):
walked out, It's great, I asked Pop.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
I was like, is he like that all the time?
Speaker 5 (23:46):
So I really hope that he returns to the level
that not only the team hopes, but also what I
think he hopes for himself. He said last year like
last year was quote terrible. He called himself he terrible.
So I appreciate and respect that kind of self awareness,
and I think he wants to reassert himself in this
(24:07):
league as well. Hopefully he's completely healthy for it.
Speaker 7 (24:10):
So here's let me add one thing. On Mike.
Speaker 6 (24:13):
In order to make plays in training camp, the quarterback
has to throw you the football and Justin Herbert one
of his favorite targets, maybe his favorite target he's ever
played with Mike Williams crunch time. Where was he looking
eighty one? So that is part of the calculus here
that when Mike is on the field, Justin is going
to be looking his way because that trust factor is
(24:36):
already built in, and you look down the rest of
the receiver depth chart, like who has that level of
trust with Justin?
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Already?
Speaker 6 (24:43):
Lad is in that conversation, but outside of that, that
trust factor isn't really there. You know, you have two
rookies that they're building. Quentin, you know, I don't know
if he's ever going to be at that level with
with Justin, just based on how things have gone. So like,
you know, if Mike is healthy and playing training camp,
like I have an expectation that he's gonna be making
a lot of plays because Justin just trusts him, has
(25:06):
always trusted him. And you know, Justin doesn't say a
lot of the podium, but the one thing he did
say during mini camp is like Mike Williams changes the
way you play football, Like that should tell you everything
you need to know about how Justin feels about Mike Williams.
And so I agree with you, Chris, Like maybe a
guy that people aren't talking about as much, but I
feel like he's going to be impactful just because of
(25:26):
that rapport that's there, and like when things are breaking
down late in the down, you know, there aren't a
lot of guys that Justin trusts to throw the ball
up to. That's one guy that he absolutely trusts just
to give him a shot.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
Well, what do you think about this?
Speaker 3 (25:38):
The guy, the guy in New York didn't trust him.
He trusted Garrett Wilson and his guy, Devonte Adams. His
first game is a Steeler, Russell Wilson threw it up
and he made one of his Mike Williams signature touchdown catches.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
Is I think is only as a Steeler.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
So I think he still has it in him and
having that chemistry with Justin, I think is going to pay.
Speaker 1 (25:57):
Dividends for him.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
You mispronounced Garrett Wilson and it's Alan Lazard. We've talked
a lot of Randall Cobb. We've talked a lot of
We've talked a lot of offense. But when you look
at this murderer's row of quarterbacks and offenses and play callers,
(26:18):
and you know it's because look, it's Mike Williams, it's
Justin Herbert, it's a first round draft pick, it's big
Mackay Beckton, like you talked about Tootney and just seeing that.
I don't want to call it a novelty, but it
is kind of You're like, this just doesn't make any sense.
As I'm staring at it on the right side of
the line, like I think we're forgetting that this team
was really carried by Jesse Minner and that defense last year.
(26:40):
And when you look at the lineup of quarterbacks and
teams they went against compared to what it's going to
look like this year. I know it sounds crazy, but
I just I trust the guy. Implicitly. I believe that
much in Jesse Minner as a play caller on that
side of the ball. And if he says we're really
excited to have Dante Jackson and we love the traits
of Ben Saint just and you know we replaced Punaford
(27:03):
with these three guys instead of one, I just I
believe it's gonna work. And I don't know if I'm
crazy for believing that's just placing too much trust into
a guy that just did it for one year against
that schedule, or if we saw enough that no, you should,
because what this guy did last year and putting every
single player in the exact position where they were able
(27:23):
to thrive and play their best football is just this
what this particular coordinator and this group of coaches is
able to do. Like, And I'm hopeful because I really
like them, and I know you're not supposed to, you know,
get emotionally not emotionally attached, but there's just guys you
like in guys you don't, And I really like jesse
Minner and I want to see it work out again
(27:44):
because it's insane that that guy didn't get a single
interview for a head coaching job in the NFL, let
alone in college football.
Speaker 5 (27:51):
Yeah, I mean, I think Joe Hortiz and Jim Harball
would just like to keep him their own secret as
long as they can.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
So maybe like maybe.
Speaker 5 (28:00):
Jesse Miner doesn't want to be talked about, Maybe they
don't want us to talk about him. We should just
keep it on offense anyway, so they can just keeping
to themselves. But yeah, I'm I'm really interested to see
what jesse Mincher can do with this defense that led
the league in points allowed per game in their first year.
(28:20):
How can you improve on being the best defense already?
Speaker 2 (28:24):
You know.
Speaker 5 (28:24):
And one of the interesting things that stood out to
me was Mike Elston said that even though we lost
two starters on the defensive line with Pooniford and Morgan Fox,
he thinks that they're better on the defensive line because
they added nake Won Jones, they added to Sean Hand,
and they also drafted Jamari Caldwell. And I think something
that we talked about initially when we first watched Jamari's
(28:45):
film with Joe Ortiz and we saw him on draft day,
it was like, this guy is giving poona like his
his his film, his skill set, it's giving poona. So
that's a very that's a really exciting and potentially, you know,
easy thing to look for. And like you've you've shown
(29:05):
success with this type of player, You've found a new one.
Let's just keep it rolling.
Speaker 6 (29:12):
Yeah, I'm, I'm it's it's gonna be a fascinating group,
you know. Like I think we talked about earlier and
money sort of mentioned.
Speaker 7 (29:19):
It, like it's it's a really deep group.
Speaker 6 (29:22):
I think, like more than anything, I look at some
of these positions and I'm like, who is going to
be the guy now? They might not like necessarily need it,
Like they might just go with a committee approach at
a bunch of these positions all season long, and that
might work. But I think like last year was probably
an ideal scenario right where they went into it thinking
they were going to go buy committee and they had
(29:43):
some of these guys really emerge. Whether that was obviously
Poonaford on the interior, Christian Fulton played really well over
the first half of the season before he had that
hamstring injury. But you know, I think I'm with you money,
Like I just think the guy's a really good coach.
I think the staff is freaking excellent, and I think
they are just gonna be able to get more out
of less. And that's a blessing and a curse, which
(30:03):
we've talked about, you know, throughout this offseason, Like because
they're such a good staff, the front office might think
maybe they don't need as much and maybe we should
invest more in the offense, which wasn't able to do
more with less and so it becomes a curse a
little bit because jesse minterret to sit and wait until
the third round to get a draft pick, you know,
and then they go back to back with Kyle Knard
(30:24):
in the fourth round too.
Speaker 7 (30:25):
You know, I think there's there's enough there.
Speaker 6 (30:27):
I think the question is, you know, with the schedule
being much tougher, are they going to be that type
of defense, you know, where they're top ten or is
it going to be more middle of the pack. I
don't see them being a bad defense ever, Like I
think just if you give them enough pieces and enough depth,
they're going to.
Speaker 7 (30:42):
Be able to to put it together.
Speaker 6 (30:44):
And you do have enough you know, star power to
be that type of middle of the pack defense.
Speaker 7 (30:49):
You still have Khalil Mack, you still have Derwin James.
But I'm gonna be.
Speaker 6 (30:53):
Fascinated to see, like, is it going to be like
last year where they're able to get some of these
guys to become, you know, those blue chip type players.
It does Dante Jackson have seven picks, you know, Jamari Caldwell,
DeShawn Hand one of those guys they emerge and have
that type of production on the interior, or are they
gonna have to take a different approach this year and
really lean into that depth and play a bunch of
guys and be more of a bi committee type defense.
Speaker 7 (31:15):
That's really what I'm looking at.
Speaker 3 (31:17):
I mean, you know, I go back to Michigan when
when Minter was there. You know, one year you have
a Jabo and Aiden hutchinsons the is the go to guys.
The next year you have guys like Chris Jenkins and
Mason Graham on the interior that kind of carry the
day for him. So Justesse's been so good at just
kind of playing to the personnel that he has and
just going going to.
Speaker 1 (31:38):
The edge group. Obviously, no more Joey Bosa.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
We know Tooley's gonna step into that role, and we
know who Khalil Mack is obviously. Do you guys think
that there's enough behind those two or is it something
where a veteran you know, we named some some some
older guys that are still on the open market that
maybe could could fill a need on third down or
you know, kind of supplements of snaps from an edge perspective,
(32:02):
do you think they need somebody else at edge or
do you think they're good where they're at.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
I mean, I think it's it's a wait and see right,
it's I was really surprised at how thick Canard was
that that kind of that that that was one of
the first things that jumped out at me when the
rookies hit the field And look at the guy that
led the league and you know, led his conference in
sacks and the most competitive conference in football. So you
certainly got you know, a base there that that they
(32:28):
can work with. I think we're all, you know, I
think going into last year, we all expected Tully to
take a huge step just based on what he did
and how many you know, just sack creation. You know,
it wasn't he didn't get the sacks, but the sacks
he created. We were like, okay, this now that you
know he's kind of more of a guy, it's it's
going to happen. And so I think we I still
(32:49):
expect that, I still you know, suspect that he's got
that that in and we saw it at SC you know,
and we saw it his rookie season. So the Khalil
Mack part of it's an interesting question because is why
would we you know, it's the Tom Brady effect, right, like,
why are we doubting this, this great, this this potential
Hall of Famer that's proven that age is just a
number when it comes to him and his work ethic
(33:10):
and how you know. But I do think we've seen
a little you know, that athleticism drop off a little
bit in the last couple of years from Khalil. So
it's an interesting question because there are guys out there,
right I think Zadari's still out there, von Miller's still
out there. It does is there a bud to pre
like player that you'd be able to get, you know,
an older veteran that's coming in as this past specialist
(33:31):
And does that make sense for one of the fifty
three spots? And what we talked about is a pretty
deep team.
Speaker 6 (33:37):
Yeah, I think they're fine. I would be surprised if
they went and brought in another veteran because it felt
like all off season it was like they got to
get younger here, they got to get younger here, They
got to bring in a player who, you know, if
Kalil Mack has done after this season, can you know,
be sort of an ascending, promising player to give them
sort of an exit plan post Khalil.
Speaker 7 (33:57):
You know, it's not the group.
Speaker 6 (33:59):
It was last year, you know, even though Bosa was
playing through the injury, Like it felt like the edge
group was the engine of the defense and they built
everything around that group. I don't know if that's necessarily
going to be the case this year, but I think,
you know, at the end of the day, like it
revolves around tu Lee, as Money alluded to, like, I
think he has the capacity to be an elite edge player,
(34:21):
and I think you have to also bring in Okay,
you know, he played the second most special team snaps
of anyone on the roster last year. How much was
that affecting his play on defense. If he's not in
that role this year and can focus exclusively on defense,
you know what happens to the production not just sacks,
but obviously you know pressures as well, and also just
you know, down to downplay.
Speaker 7 (34:42):
So I think the group is fine.
Speaker 6 (34:44):
I loved kal Kinnard coming out, so I thought it
was a really good pick in the fourth round. I
see a ton of upside, as Money alluded to, Like
he's got the length and the size, and you put
him in a room with Khalil Mack and you feel
like you're going to be able to harness some.
Speaker 7 (34:57):
Of that power that he showed off in college.
Speaker 6 (35:00):
So I don't know if it's necessarily like going to
be the engine of the team like it was last year,
but I.
Speaker 7 (35:04):
Feel like it's a it's a solid group.
Speaker 6 (35:06):
I would probably look elsewhere in terms of like, Okay,
these are the positions they might look to improve in
late August.
Speaker 5 (35:12):
Yeah, I feel like they're so excited about Tooley, and
I'm I'm interested to see what Tuley can do when
this is his spot.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
I feel like when even though.
Speaker 5 (35:22):
Joey was hurt for a really long time and he
didn't play a lot, it still felt like Tooley was
the backup who was elevated, whereas now this is this
is his spot. He's empowered to be a starter. Jim
Harbond named him as one of his Elite nine now ten.
Speaker 7 (35:39):
Hardars of the Team.
Speaker 2 (35:41):
Shout out to Josh hars Uh.
Speaker 5 (35:44):
So Touley is empowered and supported to have a starring role,
and I'm really interested to see how he'll respond when
when those kind of expectations not not necessarily expectations in
a bad way, but just like you're allowed to take
up more space, you're allowed to produce more in this way,
(36:08):
like the spot is open for him.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
And I think, as you know, we've seen him as
a local guy.
Speaker 5 (36:13):
He grew up here in southern California, went to college here.
We've seen him for a long time, always produce in
every spot that he's been giving.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
Yeah, no question, guys.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
Is there any other position battles that we didn't talk
about that you think fans should maybe have their eyes
on first few days of camp.
Speaker 4 (36:32):
Well, I don't know if i'd call it a battle,
but I'm certainly interested to see how it looks with
a healthy non app and deck to meet Junior Colson
out there with Dayon Henley, because that you talked about
the engine of the defense, Like that could be the
engine of this defense if Colson's who we think he
is and Deayon's and I believe Deon's going to be
in the conversation as the best off ball linebacker in
(36:54):
the league in short order, Like that's the one I'm
looking at on that side of the ball.
Speaker 7 (36:59):
Yeah, that was the one I was gonna bring up.
Speaker 6 (37:01):
Sorry, Daniel, No, No, it's it's it's a great point
I go back to, like there's certain moments in training
camp that just stick in your mind.
Speaker 7 (37:09):
You know.
Speaker 6 (37:09):
One that's always stuck in my mind is like, We'shawn
Slater's first rep in one on one pass pro against
Joey Bosa when he was coming out in twenty twenty one.
You just like, Okay, that guy's gonna be good, right,
Like I think, you just have those moments. I remember
last year in training camp, I was staying it next
to Money. It was like Junior's first time back and
team drills and they were doing a nine on seven
run drill and he just explodes through the line of scrimmage,
(37:30):
blows up a screen pass and we look at each
other and it's just like you have that moment like.
Speaker 7 (37:34):
Yeah, he's gonna be good.
Speaker 6 (37:36):
So I think, like, you know, there's a lot of
parallels between dayon Junior. You know, Dayan is a rookie,
had that hamstring injury in the preseason, never really was
able to find his footing, get snaps on defense. It
kind of just derailed his rookie season. And it was
very similar with Junior, you know, between the app and deck.
To me, he gets back on the field, he has
an ankle injury, he goes on ir and never really
(38:00):
found his footing. Day On in year two emerges as
a breakout season. I could see a very similar path
for Junior, but he's again like you go down the list,
it's like, Okay, this guy should start, but they've got
other options, right, Like, I think they love what Denzel
brings if he can stay healthy, you know, as a
as a run defender in his violence and physicality, and
Troy Die played some really good ball on defense, right,
(38:22):
So it's like he's got to be in the mix
based on how he played last year, and he saw
the contract he signed, so obviously they value him. So
it's going to be a fun competition there. I think,
like you know, Davarro Bowman sort of said it during
the offseason where he was like, we have a plan
as far as what we want to happen. I think,
you know, the indication there is that, like they want
day On and Junior next to each other, but like
everywhere else, he's gonna have to earn.
Speaker 7 (38:42):
It's gonna fascinating to watch.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
I totally agree.
Speaker 5 (38:46):
I'm really excited to see Junior see what he can
do in his second season. The other thing I would
I would be interested in is again, I don't know
if this is a competition, and we briefly mentioned him,
but I want to see what Tarkeep still can do
in his second year. He had a really breakout rookie season.
(39:07):
I think they thought of him mostly as kind of
a nickel guy, and we watched him during the off
season line.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
Up a lot at the outside.
Speaker 5 (39:14):
I know versatility is a big part of what that
secondary does, so I'm interested to see if he can
become one of those outside corner guys or if that
was just kind of an experiment they're going to try.
Who knows, and then what he stills progression means for
Cam Hart.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
I think Cam both of them fifth round picks.
Speaker 5 (39:35):
I think Cam got slowed down a little bit with
some injuries, and he also was out most of the
off season with that shoulder injury. And what he's going
to be able to do when when they get back.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
So what those two fifth rounders now in.
Speaker 5 (39:49):
Their second year can kind of progress into for the
Chargers on that defense.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
You know, I'll name one guy from that class too,
and it would just you look, Joe Horty's what he
did with with All and Ladd in the first two rounds.
If Junior pops away, that I think a lot of
us expect him to in year two. You mentioned the
two fifth round corners. What about that fourth round defensive
tackle that they keep saying put on thirty pounds of
muscle and has been in the weight room and maybe
(40:17):
can make that lead from year one to year two
and Justin a boy bee, I mean, if he can
be a key part of that rotation. Just look at
that draft class that Joe put together last year with
all of those guys contributing, that could be something. And
then you know, Bunny, we always know that there's gonna
be rookies that.
Speaker 1 (40:34):
Pop at some point.
Speaker 3 (40:35):
So you know, Gatson seems to be the one that
they got a lot of buzz this offseason and just
adding him to that tight ends room it seems to
be a good thing for Justin Herbert company.
Speaker 4 (40:46):
I'll just finish with that, and a button on it
is that remember that goes both ways. Like, look, draft
picks are great, but you know they had what eight
this year, ten last year. There's a lot of young guys,
So the idea that they're all going to hit and
somehow it's it's a failure if they all don't. Like
that's a lot of young dudes. So when Cornelius Johnson
(41:09):
and Brendan Rice and the seventh you know, if it's Triquez,
Bridges and Mickens, like if for some reason those guys
are on the practice squad and they need to be developed,
like it's perfectly normal. It's perfectly normal. Like, you know,
not every fourth rounder is going to come in and
be Max Crosby from the jump. You know, there are
justin a boy be's out there that just need time,
(41:30):
you know, and you got to develop them and you
hope that they're able to take that next step. So
would you like all of your draft picks to be
great and stick with the team. Absolutely, But as we
saw last year, you know, it's just not it's not
necessarily the way that it that it always works out.
Speaker 7 (41:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (41:46):
And it's a spectrum too, right, Like a fourth round
pick hitting doesn't mean that guy becomes an all pro. Like,
if that guy can carve out a role in any
capacity on the roster, then that can still be categorized
as a as a hit on the pick. So I
think that's what you're looking for or for some of
these later round draft picks, can they come in and
be an impact special teams player. Can they give you
fifteen snaps a game on the interior as a defensive lineman,
(42:08):
like those are still value adds to the team. And
I think that's that gets lost a little bit, that
there is a spectrum, there's nuance to you know, hitting,
so to speak on draft picks.
Speaker 5 (42:18):
I think something that I was thinking about earlier is
I was talking to Raean about something in the locker
room and he said, people forget that the NFL.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
People are still allowed to develop. In the NFL. You
don't just show up and you're who you are forever.
Speaker 5 (42:33):
People have long careers if like you said, pop, like
just carve out small roles every single year and that's
that success and that helps you stick around. So just
because they don't appear to be this this starter immediately,
like you know, we love to celebrate a rookie like
Ladd or Joe Joealt and they are were off to
(42:58):
great careers as well, But that doesn't mean that if
you don't hit immediately and you don't become a star
in your first year, like, that doesn't mean that you're
you don't have potential to still stick around for a
long time in this league.
Speaker 4 (43:09):
Yeah, and I'll just quickly before we get out of here, Chris,
I'll just say two words. Dean Leonard. Yeah, what a
sixth seventh round pick. One of their best special teams players.
And last year before he got hurt, we were like,
ooh that that might be their outside corner. So like that,
that's there's still potential for Dean Leonard to make this team.
And because he is that good on special teams, and
you would assume Ryan Ficken's going to fight for him
(43:31):
to keep him on the fifty three. And man, we
thought he was tracking to be that guy, not tarheb
Still or cam Hart. You know that that he was
going to end up being that dude opposite Chrisian Fulton
that was going to get out there, you know, or
with the Sante Samuel. I should say that it was
going to be part of that mix.
Speaker 1 (43:45):
Yep, guys, this was fun.
Speaker 3 (43:47):
Well I have to do this again when the fifty
three gets released, so Poper can can either celebrate or.
Speaker 7 (43:55):
I'll only join. I will only join in celebration.
Speaker 3 (43:59):
This is the year's gonna to the highs and lows
is gonna join us.
Speaker 1 (44:03):
We know that to me will be here. So I
got to bring.
Speaker 2 (44:06):
Back the number so I hope I can be back.
Speaker 4 (44:09):
He's our key to the Number Game. We got to
bring back the Number Game this year, boys and gal.
As a matter of fact, we have to Yes, you
were not here when we ran when when our when
our man Eric ran the Number Game. But it's time
I think to uh, were you here, Popper, you were
here right when we were running it? Or no, you're
looking at me kind of quizzical.
Speaker 7 (44:26):
Refresh my memory.
Speaker 4 (44:27):
When we uh, we each get to pull. I think
we pull three numbers and uh, if they're no, we
pull one number. You pull one number, so zero through nine,
it's the last number of a jersey, and whichever number
amasses the most points you win the week. And we
did it with all the all the beat writers and
(44:47):
us in the booth. And it was a fun way
to uh get a little extra something in the game.
In case it gets away from you, thank you keep
keep yourself interested. It's it's something we got to bring
back this year. Absolutely for us to to get the
get the interaction.
Speaker 7 (45:03):
It's pure though it's purely it's pure lock.
Speaker 4 (45:06):
There's no pure lock, yes, pure luck. But going into
the game, you would be like, oh, got eight. It's
a bad run. D you know, I got you know,
and and so like you would get those, you'd get
the zero from Austin and you'd be all jacked, and
then you'd kind of think about good defense and you'd
pull the kicker and you're like, oh, kicker might be
the way to guy. It's just it's pure lock. You're
(45:27):
just pulling the number out of a out of a hat.
But you know, there's wild.
Speaker 7 (45:33):
I think I think that might have been my first
might have been your first season.
Speaker 4 (45:36):
Let's bring it back though, Let's let's let's discuss it
at training camp. And that's the most important thing to
come out of this podcast today.
Speaker 1 (45:42):
Game back starting in sal Paulo.
Speaker 4 (45:45):
That's right. Appreciate you starting canting, Chris. Pre season pre
seasons plenty.
Speaker 3 (45:54):
It's for those who are watching this. You probably see
it all a Friday. We're taping this on a Thursday,
so exactly three weeks we will have preseason football and
can't Ohio, Detroit.
Speaker 1 (46:05):
Lions, Chargers, Baby, let's go alright, guys, for tu me,
for Popper, and for money. I'm Chris. This has been
Chargers Week.
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