July 17, 2025 • 42 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 tight end Tyler Conklin to discuss his first Chargers training camp, goals for the season, Mike Williams’ retirement announcement, the new alternate uniforms, and the excitement of going up against Derwin James Jr., Daiyan Henley, and the Bolts’ defense during camp. This episode was recorded after training camp practice on Thursday, July 17.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Late fifteen ten touched up.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
What's Up?
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Guys.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Welcome into a brand new episode of Chargers Weekly, as always,
joined by the voice of the Chargers, Matt Muddy Smith.
Day one of training camp and money Training camp always
brings surprises, but forty five minutes into practice, I think
we were all shocked. Frankly, Mike Williams is retiring from
the NFL.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
Shocked for me, it's bummed, you know, I really maybe
a better word. Yeah, anybody that's been around Mike knows
just what a great duty is and you know, was
excited to have him back, thinking about the chemistry with
Justin Herbert and just an opportunity for him to shake
off last year and just how badly that went. I
was excited for him, And you know, unfortunately this this
(00:54):
is typically how it ends. It doesn't end with Tom
Brady went in a Super Bowl in Tampa at forty
years old. Usually it's a it's a game that chews
you up and spits you out. And sadly for Mike
who had to deal with, you know, neck injury when
he was a rookie, the back injury a few years ago,
and then obviously the knee two years ago in that
Vikings game. It's you know, some guys their body cooperates,
(01:17):
others their body betrays them, and it's it's a bummer
because I think a lot of people were really excited
to have Mike dub back.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Yeah, last week we were talking about kind of the
pecking order of the wide receivers and thinking that Mike
may be able to take that wide receiver two roll and.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Get some reps.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
And now again it's it's fresh and everything you said
about Mike is so true. He was drafted in twenty seventeen,
the first LA Charger drafted and had some really good
years with the team, and it was just it was
so refreshing to have them back. And now you know,
it's it's early, like this is the first team to
report to training camp, so there's a lot of time
(01:51):
to kind of sort out what the wide receiving room
is going to look like and how they address not
having Mike. We're gonna have Tyler Conklin joined the program
later to talk about kind of his his journey with
the Chargers so far and day one of training camp.
So that'll be good, But as far as the wide
receiving room is concerned, you know, there's a there's a
rookie and Tray Harris that's still inside as we tape this.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Hopefully that gets resolved.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Soon, and you know everyone's just gonna have to get
uh stepped up a notch.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
I guess yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
I think in the case of Trey, we were talking
about it before he started spinning here for the pod,
but that that'll get done. Like it seems like it's
all in order now. Now that you've got two deals
that have been done that aren't one hundred percent guaranteed,
they both seem to be in the same step. It's
about a ten percent jump and guaranteed money, so it goes.
I pulled up Patrick Paul's numbers from last year. He
(02:39):
got guaranteed four point one six on a six point nine,
So you jump that by ten percent. He's going to
be guaranteed four point seven. It's an extra six hundred
grand if you're in step with kind of what happened
with these other contracts.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Not a lot.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
He's someone that seemed to develop a pretty good rapport
with Justin that we saw in mini camps. He's a
legitimate ex receiver. It's why you draft to him. I
would assume you know that that's that's going to get
stepped up. The other thing, too, is like, as soon
as you know, Chris, you're the one that told me
about it, you showed me the funnier like is this
is this?
Speaker 1 (03:10):
And I was like, is that real? Is that a fake? Like?
What is it?
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Like?
Speaker 4 (03:13):
Right on cue, Jalen Rager, you know, runs a go
route on the right sideline, Herbert drops it in the basket.
He makes a diving catch, both toes into the end
zone for a touchdown. So it's like the first thing
that popped in my head was, you know, we were
talking about Jalen Rager maybe being in a bubble player.
We heard coach say, you know, he's going to have
to really dig into special teams if he wants to
make this roster. And now it's like, okay, well that's
(03:34):
kind of what you're looking at. I mean, that's what
we saw out there today when they lined up with
the ones. It was Lad, it was Q, and it
was Rager. And I think that's unless something changes here,
you know, with a couple people that are available out there,
and I don't really know what direction, if it's a
free agent direction, it's just Amari Cooper. He's really I
guess I gave Davis is out there. When you think
about an ex who had a disappointing season in Jacksonville
(03:56):
last year, I think he was in Jacksonville last year
right after sending a big money deal there.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
So yeah, after Buffalo.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
Yeah, so I think that's you know that, Hey, Georgie's
and Chad Alexander and their staff and coach Harbaugh and
everybody gonna have to kind of put their heads together
and figure out if it's internal or if it's external.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
One of the advantages I guess of starting early is
an opportunity for a week to kind of see what
you have in house.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
And you mentioned Reger.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
I saw eighty four catching a lot of balls from
Justin Ober today too, and Candrey.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Lambert Smith that was a nice development. Yeah, caught a.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Touchdown at seven on sevens And I saw Justin target
him a couple of times too, And we didn't see
him during offseason workouts in mini camps, So hey, that's
another guy that could potentially develop, and you know, we'll
see him as early as the Hall of Fame game.
But yeah, you know, I don't know from a trade perspective,
if it makes sense to go that route again, you
have time to kind of see.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
What you have.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
Yeah, I think the KLS thing. I'm glad you brought
that up, just because we didn't see him. It was
working off to the side, and I think there was
some thought of, Okay, how this a guy that's got
to get out there.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
I mean, you're a rookie.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
You're not a first round pick and not a second
und you're a fifth round pick, you know, and typically
that's a developmental or a special team. But we heard
the way that this coaching staff talked about him, Santre
Lyles said, always talked about him being like the third
receiver on his board or something like that. So you
knew there was excitement. He's got fourth. I think he's
got a fourth a four to three guy or four
to four guy. Kept it's blazing speed. Yes, so that
(05:15):
plays on the outside, and like you said, he was
out there. Herbert was running with the ones and twos,
and he seemed to be kind of a favorite target
of his, specifically on the outside. I saw make a
really nice They were running a third down drill and
he made a really nice out. Had ball was released
before he got his head around, so it was on
him pretty quick and just secured it like it was nothing. So,
(05:35):
like I said, it could, this team feels like they're
more of an internal team than an external team. Let's
give that opportunity to Trey Harris. Let's give that opportunity
to KeAndre Lambert, Smith, to Brennan Rice, to Jalen Rager
before we seek something X.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
You know external.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
You know, it's a heck of an opportunity for Quinn
Johnson right year three to elevate what he did last year.
You're gonna get a heck of a lot more snaps
during the preseason. And you know, Sanja Lower, he said, hey,
you're the starter going in. He's gonna continue to be
the starter alongside lad McConkey. So again, just a surprising
turn of events. Forty five minutes into camp. You could
just the sideline was scurrying trying to figure out and
(06:12):
confirm that it was true. And you have fans that
are multitask and watching practice and on their phones. But
we wish Mike Williams the best man. We love Mike Williams,
can't say enough good things about him, but you know,
other people have to step up, and one of those
guys are gonna have to step up, Tyler Conklin.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Yeah, Yeah, that's exactly right, and he's going to join
us in a little bit. And tight that tight end
room is. We've talked about it, Chris. It's one of
the most improved rooms, I think on the team, just
by his addition alone, someone that can catch the ball.
You're talking about multiple sixty plus catch seasons last year,
four touchdown grabs. He's a guy that does not drop
(06:48):
the ball, and we know how important that is for
Herbert and we know what it looks like for Justin
right when he has a tight end. Just think about
his rookie season, what Hunter Henry meant to him and
what a safety blanket that was for him, and how
much he relied on him specifically in the red zone,
and then just it didn't really matter who got dropped in.
Herbert was able to excel and trust. And I think Conklin,
(07:10):
because of his aptitude to catch the ball, is going
to become a favorite of his in a hurry. And
I think it's a great way to transition into that, Chris,
because it's not just about the wide receiver, right, It's
just pass catcher, you know, can you find a way
to you know, to replace what we thought would be
I don't know for Mike what we were thinking fifty
sixty catches, you know, six seven hundred, eight hundred yards
(07:32):
if it was a really good year, those touchdowns in
the red zone. And I think instead of just trying
to envision a wide receiver kind of like what they're
doing on the defensive line right by, it's multiple to
replace Puna. It's probably multiple the speed of KeAndre Lambert
Smith to take the top off a defense on a
go route, the hands of Tyler Conklin in the red zone,
to have that big target where Justin can fire the
(07:55):
ball in there and have it secured. So I think
that's to me, that's sort of what I envision, and
their approach being more than going out and making a trade.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Yeah, I agree with you.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
I think the the excitement of the preseason, of the
training camp, it kind of starts with those pass catchers
because we have not seen KLS or Trey Harris before.
With Justin Herbert, we haven't seen Aron Day or Conklin.
We thought Hayden Hurst was going to kind of fill
that role that Conklan is kind of coming in here
to do and Conklin's durability throughout his career and.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
What he was able to do in Minnesota and the Jets.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
I just think he's going to fill a role that
you know will distinct did so much last year. Yeah,
take a little bit off of his plate, and then
you know, just seeing how this offense develops again, I go,
I just go back to being taking this in January
or change, two weeks from the Hall of Fame July
the seventeenth, two weeks from camp from the Hall of
Fame game. So it's it's such an opportunity for us
(08:50):
to observe what this team has over the next couple
of weeks before any other of these teams even play
a preseason game.
Speaker 4 (08:56):
Yeah, I'll say the you know, just going into camp
observations from today. I think if there's one thing, the
KeAndre Lambert Smith thing was cool just because we didn't
know he was I didn't know he was gonna be
out there, so I was excited to see that. But
for me, man, when you watch how Aron, how how
Amari and Hampton makes his way through the whole how
(09:19):
skinny he gets and how he it's just it's I
know there's not contact and they're not tackling and they're
not taking people to the ground, but you can still
see it. You can see these these creases, how he
gets through them, how he contorts his body while still
exploding forward, like it's just different, man, And it's There
(09:40):
were a couple different plays where I'm I just happened
to be right in line with the b gap where
he was coming through, and I'm watching bodies everywhere, and
here's this dude that is just getting skinny, and it's
like making his way through this this puzzle and making
himself that piece that fits every single edge. And I
was like, dude, that's he just looks different. Yes, that's
(10:02):
the of all the guy. And then it you know,
of all the guys out there, that's certainly the one
that jumped out to me the most.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Najie Harris. We did that roundtable with Toukni and Popper
and got that news after we taped the podcast, so
we weren't able to address that last week.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
But now you're going to start on the non football
injury list and you hope he's out there sooner than later.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Too. Just active, So they called it active, so that's
a good sign.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
That's a great sign.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Yeah, so hopefully get nas you back.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
But again, what an opportunity for Marion to kind of
start in this position. He looks the part and it
goes along the lines of the whole Trey Harris Kalist thing.
Just new guys on the offense gets it as well.
In the tight ends room interior offensive line Bradley Boseman
starting at center as Ion was left guard today.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Yeah, and then but they rotated.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
You know, I saw a handful of those those seven
on seven are these the elevens where he was playing
center as well, So they kind of they rotated today
for sure, and that's what I anticipate they're going to do.
Kind of going back to your point about Naji like that,
you know, if he's fine, and it sounds like he is,
the positive theirs is that you know what you have
in him. You know, you don't know what you have
(11:11):
in in Rocket and come onie, I think in a
second year. So it allows those guys to get some
more reps that would maybe normally be going to a
Marion Hampton because Nag he's taken the ones and then
you know there's that pecking order.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
So now I think that's good.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
It gives you an opportunity to evaluate because that's a
stacked room, you know, and we've talked about it that
that fourth running back. I don't think there's any I'd
be very surprised if Asan Haskins didn't make the team.
So I do think it's quite a competition for that
fourth running back. And so you're gonna get those extra
reps there.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
That's going to help.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
And again, I think I just say it that way
not to dismiss Nachi, but we know what he is,
and it's like, if he's okay, and it sounds like
he is, he's down here now. They just wanted him
to stay up there with his doctors at Sandford who
was getting worked with. I guess it was pretty gnarly ordeal.
His buddy got got pretty messed up. So you know,
you hope everybody's all right, and you don't want to
just kind of keep it focused on football, but it
(12:01):
you know, for for the purposes of this pod, I
think it's it sounds like the football stuff is okay,
So get some extra reps in there, because yeah, one
of those guys is likely you know, he hopefully makes
it through to the practice squad, and you know it's
going to kind of be that sort of in case
of emergency break last guy from.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
From a football perspective too, I mean, he doesn't miss games.
So when Nazi's ready to go and he's he can
get on the grass, he's as durable as they come
from a running back perspective. And yeah, I do think
that this, you know, and coach even said this before
because he speaks before a.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Hack of oppresser.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
It was got to tell you, man, please, you know,
as a good twenty seven minutes you're gonna want to
take in over there at chargers dot Com.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Listen to that.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Hopefully you've watched it by now after you listen to
charges weekly. But coach kind of said that today was
going to be like an extension of mini camp, like
and like day three, day four mini camp.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
That's pretty much what we saw.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
Yeah, I mean it was scheduled for two hours. It
went after stretching hour and change. I mean like it
barely hit an hour if you don't count like the
stretching portion, and you know they were wrapping it up.
I think they you know, they actually started kind of
doing football activities. Around ten fifteen ish and they were
wrapping up at ten after eleven, so and you know,
(13:14):
players appreciate that. I don't want to. You know, it's
not high school where we were jumping into the fire
and doing two a days and one hundred and five
degree weather and they're handing assault pills. So that was
you know, it was fun walking around and talking to
the people too. All the you know, is packed. It
was sold out. The tickets, not that you have to
buy them so but you just have to. Really, that
was that was the highlight for me. Man.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
It's so good to see everybody back here and excited
about football. It feels like we never left. It's hard
to believe that the bolt was built last year. A
week later camp started and now it's just like I
feel like everybody collectively, from the people who work here
to the fans is everybody was in a groove today like, hey,
we're back.
Speaker 4 (13:54):
And I'll tell you the one thing I saw is
I saw a lot of navies, man. I saw when
I was driving in and all the people that had
to park off site were walking in. I saw Joe
alt Navy, I saw a Derwin Navy. I saw dayon Navy, like,
that's you know, from the uniform revealed two days ago.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
What was your you know this this.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Is we're past the news cycle now, but like forty
eight hours later, what'd you think?
Speaker 4 (14:18):
I totally get it. I mean, I look, I made
I'm an old guy. I'm an old man. So the
Chargers Royal Blues were my Charger Like I remember seeing
you know them with Dan Fouts on National TV and
thinking that's the Those uniforms and the Dolphin uniforms were
my favorite uniforms when I was a kid. So then
you have the epic in Miami and it's like this
greatest uniform matchup in the history of the world. So
(14:39):
I've just always been attached to the Royals. I think
a lot of fans take that is I don't like
the Navies. No, I'm fine with the Navies. I was
just asked, what would you prefer the alternate to be,
and I was like, yeah, for me, the Royals. But
having said that, the Navies look good man, and I
think seeing the bouncing the step of the fans and
how excited they were talking about it, the super Argers
(15:00):
and just look, I'm fortunate to have, you know, become
friends with low Neil, and I know what what that
uniform means to him. To that era where you have
multiple Hall of Famers in Ladanian and Antonio Gates while
we're out in Canton. You know, that's what they're going
there for, you know, the the Rodney Harrison retirements. When
they're gonna wear it like, I get it, you know,
(15:22):
I totally get that. That's what it had to be,
and that's what was really going to move the needles.
So I'll take that on the Navies and they better
win a freaking game in them and I'll let you
take the Sunshine and the Golds, the yellows, the goals,
whatever we let me.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
Let me just say that the rollout for both of
them was amazing, Lawless, that's always yeah. Shout out to
the entire Content Video social team that the Supercharger Vibe.
First of all, it feels like Derwin and Deayone played
in that era.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
It looked like they played in that era.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
The really cool uh, the old school phone, everything about it.
It was really cool, really really good. And the Sunshine Gold,
I think there is the there was a little bit
of a mix with the Gold, but I think people
who were hesitated about at the beginning of the day.
Came around like twelve hours later. I saw so many
people like, you know what, the goals have grown on me,
and then they see Durwin look at it and put
(16:14):
it on and freak out that it looks so good.
I think it grew in a lot of people, and
I liked it. They are paying homage to that that
Coriel Fouts era with the gold because the goal is
a you know, although they'd never wore gold jersey's like,
it's a big color. It's a big part of what
that that early era was all about.
Speaker 4 (16:31):
Yeah, it's look, it's it's not about me. It's well,
I look, I am a fan too, but it's you know,
if the fans are into it and the players are
into it and they feel good wearing them, then great.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
It's one game too.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (16:43):
And now now if I can nitpicky, sure, because that's
what I do. My my one issue with the goal.
A lot of people are saying, oh, I wish it
was just don't wear the yellow pants, wear the gold
jersey and wear the white pan, or wear the gold
jersey and the powder blue pan, and that'd be great.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
That's fine.
Speaker 4 (17:00):
I can I can see that, but for me, it's
it was always weird for me to see the color
rush and the white helmet. It's like, wait a minute,
head to toe, your one color, and then I get
to the head and it's this bright white helmet. That's
why the Navy's never really hit before, right, it just
always looks straight. So that's why the navies when you
see this, really like, Okay, that looks good and it's
(17:21):
head to toe. So I think, I know, it would
have been even more of a my god, you know
if you had a gold helmet as well.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
But I think, believe it or not, it probably would
have worked.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
Because to me, the white helmet just looks like this
sort of I don't know, it's just like a It's
like a doll up of whip cream on top of
your banana ice cream or something like that. So that's
that's my only because I can't help myself. I like
uniforms so freaking much, way too much for who I am,
you know, for the type of person.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
You see a lot of young people where the gold
is games too, it's.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
So far there were a handful of it because they've
been around. Yeah, they've had those that the Nike has
made that gold that gold jersey for a while and
I like, look, I like the color too. So for me,
you know, I do have a Charger Power T shirt
that a fan was nice enough to give me from
their closet. They asked if I would wear a shirt
that was forty years old, and I was like, of
course I would, so they gave it to me, and
I think I've worn it around here before. But it's
(18:14):
that old school air Coriel Charger Power T shirt. It's
all ripped up, it's got to rip on the collars whatever.
Love this thing so bellow chick esque, Yes, exactly. So
for me, yes, I know you're disappointed there was the Royal.
It was I'm not gonna lie. I was disappointed. I
wanted some Royal, But that's fine. You know that these
will be their alternates moving forward, and hopefully they stick
(18:35):
and they don't swap them out after two years. And
I think it's safe to say the Navies are here
to stay because the fans are just beyond stoked about
that particular jersey, and I think a lot of them
are already sold out. So if you want one, get
after it right away.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
It's you know, like we're looking at the LT Navy
right now. And what's great about is the bolt is
the kind of the same size on the shoulder and helmet,
but it it does have.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
Like a little bit of a modern look. Oh it's
way different. Yeah, it's I believe it's.
Speaker 5 (19:05):
I was.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
I was because some people were getting upset with me
about like, you, bum, you don't know what these navies
mean this.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
I was, like, I do, but you don't know that.
Speaker 4 (19:14):
I'm fifty years old and I watched the Chargers when
they were in Royals.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
I'm not thirty, I'm twenty years older than you. So
Navies hit they changed from Royal to Navy. So for
me that.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
Transition was like, ah, those are the best uniforms in
the league. Like that's how I felt when they made
that shift thirty years ago. But these Navies are different.
And I was, you know, because I was having these
interactions with all these people and let it be known,
folks don't take anything personally on social media. If you
just engage and be, you know, have a conversation, people
(19:47):
typically come around and you learn things. And someone had
said and I don't know if this is true, but
they said, yeah, this iteration of navies they wore once,
but only one time, that this particular look the way
the color of the bolt, the helmet, like all of
it was actually worn. I want to say it was
like over twenty years ago in a single game. It
was like a Monday night football game. They had said
(20:09):
in like two thousand and three that this particular the
style of the bolt, that all of that, you know,
not lootactically, but but just color wise the way everything
was laid out. So it is I think, I mean,
I'll take them at their word. It was very detailed
this response to me. So I was like, all right,
I assume that's let's go.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
To do our homework.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Let's go to two thousand and three Bundy Night football
games exactly. Let's let's get to Tyler Conklin. Let's do
that really good conversation with Tyler. They won a training
camp here he is well as promised. Tyler Conklin joins
us on Chargers Weekly, fresh off the field after day
one of camp. First impressions of training camp under Jim Harball, Tyler.
Speaker 5 (20:48):
I'm excited.
Speaker 6 (20:49):
I mean, I love the way we do things as
a team. I love the team that we got. Im
just excited about it.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
You've you've been in a few is every camp different?
It's every camp kind of the same.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
I know it's only one day, but just kind of
the vibe around the team, How different or how similar
is to other places you've been.
Speaker 6 (21:04):
Yeah, I mean, I think it's a little bit of both, right,
Like everybody kind of does certain things alike, and then
there's always different nuances and we do things and so
I mean it changes year by year and coach by
coach or you know, by coaches experiences of how they
think any to change it to get us ready. But
you know, I'm excited for the way they've kind of
you can tell how much like thought and preparation they
put into this camp schedule and really building us up
(21:27):
for the season ahead.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
You know, just your your experience with the Chargers and
just a few months that you've been here, being in
a new environment, getting used to the quarterback, the tight
ends room, the offense in general. How has that transition
been from New York.
Speaker 6 (21:41):
Yeah, there's always It's always a lot, right, like moving
across the coast to coast, literally coast to coast, finding
a place to live, you know, meet new people, creating friends,
building relationships, learning offense. But it's all fun doing it right, Like,
you know, Justin's a great dude to have him, you know,
leading us as a quarterback and you a tight end
friend of the offense where you know we play a
lot of tight ends and get to do a lot
(22:01):
of different things in his offense is really exciting.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (22:03):
You mentioned tight ends, right, So you look at Will
and Talker is out there and then they draft a
ronde and kind of you look like you're sort of
the the guy that it fits in the middle of
all of that kind of how would you describe yourself
as a tight end to the folks that are watching
and listening.
Speaker 6 (22:17):
Yeah, it's kind of what I've always prided myself on,
is you know, playing receiver when I first got to
college and playing basketball and receiver, and when I became
a tight end, my thing was like, you're a tight end,
Like we got to do everything. So I always took
pride and sometimes it was to a fault right of
like trying to we got to be good at so
many different things past game, run, game, pass, pro, but
I always took pride and be able to do all
those different things and be a three down player. So
(22:39):
we definitely have a little bit of everything in our
room with you know, Tuck Matt Locke. You know, Will
can do everything. You know, Aaranda, he's got so much
as a receiver. Obviously played receiver, so he's got a
lot of talent in that category, and he's willing to block.
And that's really what blocking comes down to, right what
was your willingness to go and get better at it
and be coached at and so I like to think
we can all do a little bit everything.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
You know in this offense.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
You know, justin really spreads the wealth, you know among
tight ends, receivers, backs. How do you envision your role
going this year and just that chemistry with just that
you've already established this offseason.
Speaker 6 (23:14):
Yeah, it's a tricky question, right, Like every year you
go into it. I've always gone into it like, Okay,
what are my goals for this year? You know, you
know accolades, catches, yards, you know, no mas, no drops,
Like what are my goals? And you never really know,
right because so many different things happen throughout the season, Like,
you know, what is the chemistry, how does that building?
What does that look like? You know, throughout the stages.
(23:35):
There's so many different stages throughout the season. You know what,
you know, what's the games like, how are they getting called? Well,
you know, are we playing from behind or in front?
But I do just love the way, like I said earlier,
just the things that tight end gets to do in
this offense from a route tree standpoint, the way we're
going to run the ball. That makes it a lot
easier on the tight end when you run the ball. Well,
So I do think.
Speaker 5 (23:54):
There's the ability to have a very productive tight.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
End room Tyler. You say drops, you don't drop the ball?
Speaker 4 (23:59):
Like, so what And it's not like you're you know,
you're getting sixty catch seasons out there? So what what
goes into that? How much of it is concentration? Is
it proud?
Speaker 6 (24:08):
Like?
Speaker 1 (24:08):
What goes into being someone that does not drop the ball?
Speaker 5 (24:11):
Yeah? I mean it's it's a focus. It's a focus thing.
Speaker 6 (24:13):
A lot of times, uh, you know, things happen, right,
we tend to have you know, drops happen, and you know,
I haven't been perfect, but I have pride in myself
on you know, being secure and it comes to catching
the ball. And I just feel like since I was
a kid, I was always you know, everybody kind of
has a trait. When they were playing little league football
and you know, some people were amazing after the catch
and it just like naturally do some amazing things, and
it kind of translates to when they get old they
(24:34):
kind of just black out on the field and do
some things and like, man, how'd you do that? Like
I don't know, I just wound up seventy yard touchdown
the end zone. And that's kind of how it is
for me catching the ball. I feel like I always
naturally called the ball and you know, I feel very comfortable,
just kind of you know, something I've always been pretty
good at. And to make sure I stay on top
of it, you know, just do what you're supposed to do, right,
get catches and do the little things and focus.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
Yeah, I think it was like two three weeks ago.
There's a video on Twitter that with viral of you
just working out on the Also.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
I thought it was awesome.
Speaker 5 (25:01):
No, yeah, I enjoy I enjoyed doing receiver stuff. You know.
Speaker 6 (25:05):
I had the community event in a camp youth camp
back home, and we did three different camps and the
last camp was I brought like some of the top
high school kids in the state, and I brought one
of the top you know trainers everybody seys on Instagram
out because you know, I thought would be cool for
those kids to get the experience of training with somebody
that trains you know pros. And there's a couple other
pros that you know I played with in the past
or played you know, high level college guys and whatnot.
(25:26):
And yeah, I didn't expect it to blow up because
I've been doing stuff like that for you know, eight
years and you know, accounting, so it's always kind of
an off season thing of working with a receiver coach
against some of that in right, Like, there's so many
phases to you know, training throughout the off season, and
that just happened to blow up, and you know, people
have their opinions.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Good in back, I loved it.
Speaker 4 (25:44):
Two hundred and sixty pounds. Men aren't supposed to move
like that. That's the big takeaway. So with that being said, like,
what's that transition like when you're when you're thinking about
moving to tight end and you've got to put on
all this weight and you're a former basketball player in
this high level athlete. Now you've got to carry all
this extra weight how hard or is that to just
put it on and then to work with that extra
weight on you.
Speaker 5 (26:04):
Yeah, put it on was tough.
Speaker 6 (26:05):
Uh you know honestly, like I kind of put it on,
I feel like in a good way to where it
didn't really affect me too much. Like I didn't lift
a tone when I was playing basketball and when I
was young at all. So I feel like I had
so much room to grow as I got bigger, Like
I got to get stronger and learn how to run
and learn how to get faster. And I thought, I
think the best thing with basketball was just the fluidity
it teaches of just reacting right, going beginning to rebound,
(26:28):
crossovers and and.
Speaker 5 (26:29):
All those things.
Speaker 6 (26:30):
So I think the movement portion of it wasn't too difficult,
but the gaining weight portion was was tough at times, right,
like when you're trying it, especially in college, and like, oh,
you got to be two thirty at this time, and
I'm like, you know, chugging milkshakes and eating Wendy's like
right before the way and then throwing up when I
walk out of there.
Speaker 5 (26:45):
Like so the way game was the way game was tough.
Speaker 6 (26:48):
But then you know, once once it sticks it starts sticking.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
As a VET. How much juice does it give you
to be in a new environment.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
And just seeing what this team did last year and
you know, looking at that wide receiver position, you know
Will had a lot on us play last year. Uh,
Hayden Hurst who was here, had a lot of injuries.
So I feel like there's a there's a really solid
role for you. So you couple that with just the
fact that they want to live in games and you
get to kind of come into this new environment.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
How much juice does they give you as a VET?
Speaker 3 (27:18):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (27:18):
A lot?
Speaker 6 (27:18):
Right, you know, going to free agency, I wasn't really
sure how I was going to play out, But it
didn't play out. I guess necessarily how I expected it
to play out in all honesty, and uh, you know.
Speaker 5 (27:25):
When I come here on my visit, uh, I just
knew it was.
Speaker 6 (27:28):
The it was the right situation, right, like meeting coach
har Ball and coach Herb and just like the people
here and the way they do things and the expectation
and the standard and like you said, the ability that
for Justine spread the ball around and the opportunity to
go out there and have the best season of my career,
and you never know what's gonna happen in football season.
But all you can ask for is opportunity, right, the
opportunity to go into camping and earn the starting spot,
(27:50):
going to camp and earned the ability to them for
the coaches to want to get you targets and earn
the ability to trust Justine trusted to get those targets.
And that's all you can ask for the league at
you know, when they're drafting people and there's new people
coming in every year trying to, you know, take your spot.
So to be in a situation, a winning situation, a
team that you know has built the way this team's built,
(28:10):
you know, it's not many situations that could have been
better than this one.
Speaker 4 (28:14):
You're you're qualified to weigh in on this more than
most folks. I don't know if you remember like two
years ago. I'm sure you do, but the whole basketball
versus football thing, you know could and it's a great illustration,
right because I mean, taking nothing away from your basketball career,
but you're a D two basketball player, you go to
D one tight end and now you're in the league
for what it's six seven years. Now they're going to
(28:35):
eight like we don't see it going on eight, so
we don't see a lot of football guys going to basketball.
So with that whole debate, like where do you come
out on that? Because I think about like Julius Peppers
and what kind of basketball player it was versus a
Hall of Fame football player. Is it easier to make
that transition to football from basketball?
Speaker 6 (28:52):
I mean, there's so many very variables that go into it, Like,
you know, for me, it came to the point of,
like my traits just made more sense for football, Like
as much as my dream was to play professional basketball,
like my traits just made more sense. And I feel
like usually football players don't. Usually when you see a
football player play basketball is usually not as pretty, usually choppy,
not very fluid, little you know, you use your five
(29:14):
files kind of guy. So I do think it's an
easier transition from you know, basketball to football because at
that point you just gotta probably start lifting weights. And
I mean the learning curve is was the biggest thing
for me. Like when I was first learning the college playbook,
I'm like, oh, like this is you don't have to
watch that much film in college basketball. You don't gotta
I mean, I wasn't there for that long. But like
(29:34):
the whole mental side of the of the sport is
just completely different.
Speaker 4 (29:37):
But what about like that they would say, oh, basketball
players wouldn't be able to deal with the physicality.
Speaker 6 (29:43):
I think it's just person by person. Some people wouldn't
be able to, some people would be able to. I
think it's all relative. I don't want to get into
which one can do it, because I mean there's some
people that could probably do both and some people that
probably can't.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
I mean, I don't want to guard cock in the
in the box.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
I mean I used to.
Speaker 5 (29:58):
I used to be a little guy though, point guard,
shooting guard.
Speaker 6 (30:01):
So I was just like one hundred ninety pounds, and
you know, I thought I was a little better basketball
player than I was.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
So you still play.
Speaker 6 (30:07):
I used to win the off season a lot. It
was just a good cardio. But as I get older
and whatnot.
Speaker 5 (30:13):
It's just not worth the risk.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Yeah at all.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
Hey, you know what you said. Anything can happen in
a training camp. We just got breaking news. Mike Williams
just retired. I know you played with him last year,
remember the Jets, And you know we've known Mike since
twenty seventeen amazing period. We were so excited to see
him on the grass this year, but wasn't meant to
be just your thoughts on Mike is a guy, because
I know that you played with him last year as well.
Speaker 6 (30:36):
Yeah, and me and Mike built a good relationship in
New York and then kind of ended up back here.
Was funny because they really helped my transition through OTAs
of knowing somebody and having a relationship with somebody.
Speaker 5 (30:47):
You know.
Speaker 6 (30:47):
I mean, that's just and that's hard to answer, right.
It catches me off, catching me by surprise a little
bit too. But I'm sure he's making the best decision
for himself and you know where him and his family's
at and whatnot, So you know, I'm excited for him
and what's next. But I agree, Mike's one of the
best people.
Speaker 5 (31:03):
You know.
Speaker 6 (31:03):
I haven't known as long as you guys know him,
but in my short amount of time playing with him
and knowing him, he was a great person.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:08):
You just going back to you and coming here, Like
when you get ready or when you're getting ready for camp,
are you watching like Herbert and Hunter Henry and Jared Cock.
Are you watching that stuff or are you watching Greg Roman,
you know, Baltimore offenses in San Francisco? Like do you
get into that or is it all just clean slate?
Let me go in and kind of absorb it as
(31:29):
it comes to me.
Speaker 5 (31:29):
A little bit of both.
Speaker 6 (31:31):
Actually, the first time I ever started kind of going
back and watching like, oh, like when I was playing
with Aaron, Like when Aaron first got to New York,
I'm like, all right, let me go back and watch
him play with you know, Rob Haanyan or you know
whoever you know Mercedes or whoever his tight end was,
and how he did things, especially just like with all
the nuances that Aaron had as a quarterback, Like I
was really kind of like, okay, how do I see
(31:52):
the game the same way as him as quick as possible?
So that was my first time really doing that about
two years ago and then coming into this situation. It's
something I'm happy I'd learned because it really carried over,
like how can I kind of see how coach calls things?
Speaker 5 (32:03):
See what justin likes.
Speaker 6 (32:05):
You know, I've always really appreciated like the way Hunter
Henry played a game of football. You know, he was
always just so savvy and did a little bit of everything,
just like I started to do.
Speaker 5 (32:13):
So it is something I do. But at the same time,
it's like, let's go out there.
Speaker 6 (32:17):
And build this thing. And you know, you can only
do so much thinking. You know, you gotta go out
there and play and react.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
You know, I think back to your time with the Jets.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
It's just the great defenses that you guys had there
and going up against those guys on a daily basis
and practice. You come here and guys like Derwin James
and Dayon Henley. Your your impressions of this jesse Mentor
led defense.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
That you have to go up against on a daily basis.
Speaker 6 (32:40):
Yeah, I mean the biggest difference is in New York, right,
they did the same thing every time like we weren't.
They didn't do a ton right like we recover three
and it was what it was. You know, Coach Mentor
does so many you know they'll be in four down,
they'll be and three down it'll be you know, tricky too,
Like there's so many different things they do from a
cover standpoint and front standpoint that you know, it's a
lot different. We were New York's four down cover three
(33:01):
you know occasion, you know, man On third, like it
wasn't too much, you know, getting to the line, having
to figure out what was going on. You think a
little bit more here now here it's like okay, like
what are we doing? Like what are they doing? How
does this change my rules? What all I gotta change?
And then like obviously named some great players, right, like
you know me and Dermam got drafted in the same class,
and you know the career he's had his you know,
I guess he's lived up to all the hype, right
(33:23):
he gets drafted as Derwy James, and he's lived up
to all of it and exceeded some so and some
of the young guys on this defense that have just
stepped up, you know last year the corners and obviously
you got k Mack and whatnot, who I you know,
unfortunately had to play against a handful of times when
I was in Minnesota because those are some good defenses too,
when he was in Chicago in twenty nineteen and whatnot. Right,
(33:45):
it's a really you know, it's a really talented defense
and coach mentors a you know, hell hell of a
defensive coache.
Speaker 4 (33:49):
So two days ago, yeah, big day. I don't know
if you kind of picked up on it. But Charger
uniforms are kind of a thing. Yeah, so there we go.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
Good. Just kind of your thoughts now that you're here.
What do you think would be your favorite combo?
Speaker 5 (34:04):
That The Navy's pretty sweet?
Speaker 6 (34:07):
Yeah, it's just like a childhood thing, right, Like I
grew up watching LT and Antonio Gates, especially him being
a Michigan guy. Like he's my favorite tight end of
all time. So you know he was college basketball player, right,
you know, Hall of Famer now, Like he's always been
kind of somebody that I've watched throughout you know, my.
Speaker 5 (34:23):
Especially my transition to football.
Speaker 6 (34:25):
But so it was a nostalgic and you know LT
and the dark visor too, right, it's just it's just sick.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (34:31):
But the powder of blues are sweet, especially like the
powdered blue pants with the white jersey. I think that's
a good home UNI like, and I like, I know
the yellows. Everybody's kind of some people.
Speaker 1 (34:40):
Like it depends right, like gold look good on this
smaller guys.
Speaker 6 (34:42):
I want to say, I enjoy like for a titand
I feel like I enjoy looking good out there, right,
And I think I'm gonable to make those yellows look
really good. But I guess we'll we'll find out what
people think.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
Anybody who were hesitant about the yellows, like twelve hours
later they came around because the.
Speaker 5 (34:56):
Big guy like the yellow.
Speaker 6 (34:58):
Yeah, the big guys don't like all wh right, Like
big guys are all we all white, we look fat.
Speaker 5 (35:03):
They hate wearing all white.
Speaker 6 (35:04):
So yellow they're gonna be like I saw Andrew Whitworth
said something like, I remember when we did the yellows
and I just looked like big bird out there. So
you know, Joe might not like it, but so old lineman,
but I think they're gonna be.
Speaker 1 (35:17):
Sweetie Becking in the gold is something to see.
Speaker 6 (35:20):
Makay likes. Makai looks trying to, you know, get his
swag right. So you were in New York took yeah,
So MacKaye probably really tried to find a way to
to make it look sweet on him, or at least
what he thinks looks sweet.
Speaker 4 (35:33):
But I'll finish with this. I don't know Chris has
anything else. Just you know, you seem like someone that
that gets out there. Have you gotten out around town?
Speaker 1 (35:41):
Like how how is La? It's obviously a little bit
different than Minnesota and New York. Yeah, just kind of
your impressions.
Speaker 6 (35:47):
I haven't done too much yet, just because my wife
hasn't been here. She's kind of the one that like
drags me out of the house and we got a
we got a seven month old son, so that limits
too much exploring. But when she gets out here, I mean,
we've done like our beach days and she's excited. When
when I came from my visit, she was just like
at home praying that I was gonna sign here.
Speaker 5 (36:04):
So I called. She's like, oh, and I'm like, yeah,
we're staying. She was just losing it.
Speaker 6 (36:08):
We've been somewhere cold in my whole career, like that's
college at Central Michigan, went to Minnesota, went to New
Jersey from Michigan. So she's like, I guess you live
on the beach and in decent. We're warm for the
first time in my life.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
That's right.
Speaker 5 (36:18):
So getting her back to Michigan is going to be
the hard part.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
Right, Well, maybe that's just stay a couple of Super Bowls, O.
Speaker 5 (36:23):
You make it your extension and hang around exactly.
Speaker 3 (36:27):
Well, hey, Tyler, we were pumped to see you in
powder blue gold Navy but whatever it.
Speaker 5 (36:33):
Is, man, best jerseys in the league, no doubt.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
No, we appreciate your time.
Speaker 5 (36:35):
Man, I appreciate you guys.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
Thank you, Thanks to sobody.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
We didn't really get an opportunity to talk to Tyler
during the off season, so good conversation day one in
the books.
Speaker 4 (36:45):
Yeah, and you know we talked about it before he
joined us for the interview. He's going to be important.
I think people are really starting to come around to
that idea from it being a are you going to
draft Tyler Warren or Colston Lovelin to you know, having
ingram was your visiting and I think once all of
that got squared away and now people it's not just
a tight end. It's a tight end in an offense
(37:07):
with a certain quarterback. All of that they can't throw
to themselves, catch them, you know, catch the ball that
you know they can't do it all. They've got to
be in the right place with the right offense. And
we've set it repeatedly. You know that that gero that
Greg Roman is going to feature tight ends and he
is going to make sure that Tyler Conklin has opportunities.
(37:28):
And if you tell me you can get a guy
that's athletic. As you know, he said, former basketball player
who doesn't drop the ball. That's going to go a
long way with Justin Herbert, like that is going to go.
Herbert is a trust quarterback.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
He always has been. You know.
Speaker 4 (37:42):
That's why Keenan had a hundred plus tardt you know
catches every single year because he implicitly trusted him.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
That's why Mike Williams got all.
Speaker 4 (37:49):
Those fifty fifty balls down the field when plays broke
down and he would just huck it down to him
because he trusted him. That's just the type of quarterback
he is. And to have a tight end, it's like
going through a season with seventy targets and one drop
that's gonna play like that's going to play with Herbert
and with with g Row and with this offense.
Speaker 3 (38:09):
Just to put a button on on the Mike Williams thing.
I think we said it at the top, looking internally,
seems to be the consensus at least at the beginning
of camp. Seeing what you have with you mentioned Jalen Rager,
the two rookies. I think Trey Harris gets in here
sooner than later. Lad Quintin from a trade perspective, Is
(38:29):
there any name that you think would make sense.
Speaker 4 (38:34):
I just don't feel like they're that type of team. Yeah,
but you know they look they made trades last year.
They brought in Elijah Molden and he shined. I think
for this, you know, obviously, Terry McLaurin comes to mind,
just because if things are gonna get that soide, I
just don't Washington can't afford to let him go. Like
(38:57):
you look at the rest of that wide receiver room.
They're coming off a trip the NFC Championship Game with
a second year quarterback, and you're gonna take one of
the best wide receivers in the league away from him.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
That's not gonna happen.
Speaker 4 (39:06):
So outside of that, I don't.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (39:10):
I'd have to probably think a little, you know, because
this news was sprung on us right before we walked
in here. I'd probably have to really rack my brain
and think about it.
Speaker 3 (39:18):
Terry's the only like big name out there that it
seems to be kind of in a in a real
contract dispute with Washington right now.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
But it's he wants thirty million plus.
Speaker 1 (39:29):
And he deserves it. He does.
Speaker 4 (39:30):
He's that good man I'll tell you I did the
broadcast boot camp with him about two months ago and
we ended up hanging out a little bit and chatting
and one of.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
The nicest, class, great dudes.
Speaker 4 (39:43):
And like, now again, I'm clocking in at a cool
one hundred and fifty pounds, so I'm not saying the
same thickness.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
But he's built like me, like he's not. It's weird
to see him.
Speaker 7 (39:54):
I'm like, you're scary, Terry, and like I'm I'm high
level with you, and you know, you're not like this
hulking you know, like when you see him Mon Ra,
he's like a thick dude, And when you see Terry mclaur.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
And you're like, huh, how about that.
Speaker 4 (40:10):
It's just one of those sort of just the way
he play, And I think that speaks to how tough
a player he is. That that's that he's that physical
of a receiver, that he's that good and contested catch
situations and playing through contact. I mean, he's one of
the best in the league. I'm I mean, one of
the greatest catches I've ever seen in my life was
that opener against Washington on the road when I thought
(40:34):
it was an interception I called it as an interception,
and I can't remember who it was. Who was it
a Looey or Michael Davis might have been Michael David.
It was Michael Davis. Went through his hands, like the
ball went through his hands and McLaurin is falling to
the turf and somehow sees it go through his hands
secures the catch. It was remarkable.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
So so you don't want.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
To take that path to say they're not trading him.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
Yeah, I don't think so either, but he you know
what the thing is, he's thirty. Mike Williams is thirty.
Just leave you some context. I think that the reason
why Washington Is hasn't to give him big thirty plus
million money is because they don't want to pay him
at thirty four, right, you know, and he.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
Probably wants a four year deal right a year. So
I don't know. It's it's an interesting you see both sides.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
But I think I'm excuse me, aligned with you that
Mike Williams being gone, Trey Harris KALs Rager, everybody needs
to step up, and everybody just gets moved up a
pecking order.
Speaker 4 (41:30):
At least they'll they'll give them the look is what
is what is one of coaches mantras? Right, I'll finish
up talking too much. It's competitors welcome. So why would
he want to take the competition away from the guys
that he preaches go out there and compete. All right,
Mike's you know, Mike's retiring. We wish him the best.
He's a great guy. Now show me what you got. Yeah,
(41:51):
here's the competition. It's open, it's yours, Trey Harris. Hopefully
that gets done here in the next few hours. And
you know KALs And and Rager and Quintin, Brendan Rice,
you know, getting the Rice and let's see what you.
Speaker 3 (42:03):
Got a lot of people asking about Brennan and Rice too,
So opportunities.
Speaker 1 (42:07):
Still out there, still wearing number eighty two.
Speaker 3 (42:09):
All rybody, this was fun day one in the books.
Thank you to Tyler Cockland for money.
Speaker 2 (42:13):
I am Chris. This has been Chargers Weekly. We'll see
you next week.
Late fifteen ten touched up.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
What's Up?
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Guys.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Welcome into a brand new episode of Chargers Weekly, as always,
joined by the voice of the Chargers, Matt Muddy Smith.
Day one of training camp and money Training camp always
brings surprises, but forty five minutes into practice, I think
we were all shocked. Frankly, Mike Williams is retiring from
the NFL.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
Shocked for me, it's bummed, you know, I really maybe
a better word. Yeah, anybody that's been around Mike knows
just what a great duty is and you know, was
excited to have him back, thinking about the chemistry with
Justin Herbert and just an opportunity for him to shake
off last year and just how badly that went. I
was excited for him, And you know, unfortunately this this
(00:54):
is typically how it ends. It doesn't end with Tom
Brady went in a Super Bowl in Tampa at forty
years old. Usually it's a it's a game that chews
you up and spits you out. And sadly for Mike
who had to deal with, you know, neck injury when
he was a rookie, the back injury a few years ago,
and then obviously the knee two years ago in that
Vikings game. It's you know, some guys their body cooperates,
(01:17):
others their body betrays them, and it's it's a bummer
because I think a lot of people were really excited
to have Mike dub back.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Yeah, last week we were talking about kind of the
pecking order of the wide receivers and thinking that Mike
may be able to take that wide receiver two roll and.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Get some reps.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
And now again it's it's fresh and everything you said
about Mike is so true. He was drafted in twenty seventeen,
the first LA Charger drafted and had some really good
years with the team, and it was just it was
so refreshing to have them back. And now you know,
it's it's early, like this is the first team to
report to training camp, so there's a lot of time
(01:51):
to kind of sort out what the wide receiving room
is going to look like and how they address not
having Mike. We're gonna have Tyler Conklin joined the program
later to talk about kind of his his journey with
the Chargers so far and day one of training camp.
So that'll be good, But as far as the wide
receiving room is concerned, you know, there's a there's a
rookie and Tray Harris that's still inside as we tape this.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Hopefully that gets resolved.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Soon, and you know everyone's just gonna have to get
uh stepped up a notch.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
I guess yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
I think in the case of Trey, we were talking
about it before he started spinning here for the pod,
but that that'll get done. Like it seems like it's
all in order now. Now that you've got two deals
that have been done that aren't one hundred percent guaranteed,
they both seem to be in the same step. It's
about a ten percent jump and guaranteed money, so it goes.
I pulled up Patrick Paul's numbers from last year. He
(02:39):
got guaranteed four point one six on a six point nine,
So you jump that by ten percent. He's going to
be guaranteed four point seven. It's an extra six hundred
grand if you're in step with kind of what happened
with these other contracts.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Not a lot.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
He's someone that seemed to develop a pretty good rapport
with Justin that we saw in mini camps. He's a
legitimate ex receiver. It's why you draft to him. I
would assume you know that that's that's going to get
stepped up. The other thing, too, is like, as soon
as you know, Chris, you're the one that told me
about it, you showed me the funnier like is this
is this?
Speaker 1 (03:10):
And I was like, is that real? Is that a fake? Like?
What is it?
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Like?
Speaker 4 (03:13):
Right on cue, Jalen Rager, you know, runs a go
route on the right sideline, Herbert drops it in the basket.
He makes a diving catch, both toes into the end
zone for a touchdown. So it's like the first thing
that popped in my head was, you know, we were
talking about Jalen Rager maybe being in a bubble player.
We heard coach say, you know, he's going to have
to really dig into special teams if he wants to
make this roster. And now it's like, okay, well that's
(03:34):
kind of what you're looking at. I mean, that's what
we saw out there today when they lined up with
the ones. It was Lad, it was Q, and it
was Rager. And I think that's unless something changes here,
you know, with a couple people that are available out there,
and I don't really know what direction, if it's a
free agent direction, it's just Amari Cooper. He's really I
guess I gave Davis is out there. When you think
about an ex who had a disappointing season in Jacksonville
(03:56):
last year, I think he was in Jacksonville last year
right after sending a big money deal there.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
So yeah, after Buffalo.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
Yeah, so I think that's you know that, Hey, Georgie's
and Chad Alexander and their staff and coach Harbaugh and
everybody gonna have to kind of put their heads together
and figure out if it's internal or if it's external.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
One of the advantages I guess of starting early is
an opportunity for a week to kind of see what
you have in house.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
And you mentioned Reger.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
I saw eighty four catching a lot of balls from
Justin Ober today too, and Candrey.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Lambert Smith that was a nice development. Yeah, caught a.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Touchdown at seven on sevens And I saw Justin target
him a couple of times too, And we didn't see
him during offseason workouts in mini camps, So hey, that's
another guy that could potentially develop, and you know, we'll
see him as early as the Hall of Fame game.
But yeah, you know, I don't know from a trade perspective,
if it makes sense to go that route again, you
have time to kind of see.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
What you have.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
Yeah, I think the KLS thing. I'm glad you brought
that up, just because we didn't see him. It was
working off to the side, and I think there was
some thought of, Okay, how this a guy that's got
to get out there.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
I mean, you're a rookie.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
You're not a first round pick and not a second
und you're a fifth round pick, you know, and typically
that's a developmental or a special team. But we heard
the way that this coaching staff talked about him, Santre
Lyles said, always talked about him being like the third
receiver on his board or something like that. So you
knew there was excitement. He's got fourth. I think he's
got a fourth a four to three guy or four
to four guy. Kept it's blazing speed. Yes, so that
(05:15):
plays on the outside, and like you said, he was
out there. Herbert was running with the ones and twos,
and he seemed to be kind of a favorite target
of his, specifically on the outside. I saw make a
really nice They were running a third down drill and
he made a really nice out. Had ball was released
before he got his head around, so it was on
him pretty quick and just secured it like it was nothing. So,
(05:35):
like I said, it could, this team feels like they're
more of an internal team than an external team. Let's
give that opportunity to Trey Harris. Let's give that opportunity
to KeAndre Lambert, Smith, to Brennan Rice, to Jalen Rager
before we seek something X.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
You know external.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
You know, it's a heck of an opportunity for Quinn
Johnson right year three to elevate what he did last year.
You're gonna get a heck of a lot more snaps
during the preseason. And you know, Sanja Lower, he said, hey,
you're the starter going in. He's gonna continue to be
the starter alongside lad McConkey. So again, just a surprising
turn of events. Forty five minutes into camp. You could
just the sideline was scurrying trying to figure out and
(06:12):
confirm that it was true. And you have fans that
are multitask and watching practice and on their phones. But
we wish Mike Williams the best man. We love Mike Williams,
can't say enough good things about him, but you know,
other people have to step up, and one of those
guys are gonna have to step up, Tyler Conklin.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Yeah, Yeah, that's exactly right, and he's going to join
us in a little bit. And tight that tight end
room is. We've talked about it, Chris. It's one of
the most improved rooms, I think on the team, just
by his addition alone, someone that can catch the ball.
You're talking about multiple sixty plus catch seasons last year,
four touchdown grabs. He's a guy that does not drop
(06:48):
the ball, and we know how important that is for
Herbert and we know what it looks like for Justin
right when he has a tight end. Just think about
his rookie season, what Hunter Henry meant to him and
what a safety blanket that was for him, and how
much he relied on him specifically in the red zone,
and then just it didn't really matter who got dropped in.
Herbert was able to excel and trust. And I think Conklin,
(07:10):
because of his aptitude to catch the ball, is going
to become a favorite of his in a hurry. And
I think it's a great way to transition into that, Chris,
because it's not just about the wide receiver, right, It's
just pass catcher, you know, can you find a way
to you know, to replace what we thought would be
I don't know for Mike what we were thinking fifty
sixty catches, you know, six seven hundred, eight hundred yards
(07:32):
if it was a really good year, those touchdowns in
the red zone. And I think instead of just trying
to envision a wide receiver kind of like what they're
doing on the defensive line right by, it's multiple to
replace Puna. It's probably multiple the speed of KeAndre Lambert
Smith to take the top off a defense on a
go route, the hands of Tyler Conklin in the red zone,
to have that big target where Justin can fire the
(07:55):
ball in there and have it secured. So I think
that's to me, that's sort of what I envision, and
their approach being more than going out and making a trade.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Yeah, I agree with you.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
I think the the excitement of the preseason, of the
training camp, it kind of starts with those pass catchers
because we have not seen KLS or Trey Harris before.
With Justin Herbert, we haven't seen Aron Day or Conklin.
We thought Hayden Hurst was going to kind of fill
that role that Conklan is kind of coming in here
to do and Conklin's durability throughout his career and.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
What he was able to do in Minnesota and the Jets.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
I just think he's going to fill a role that
you know will distinct did so much last year. Yeah,
take a little bit off of his plate, and then
you know, just seeing how this offense develops again, I go,
I just go back to being taking this in January
or change, two weeks from the Hall of Fame July
the seventeenth, two weeks from camp from the Hall of
Fame game. So it's it's such an opportunity for us
(08:50):
to observe what this team has over the next couple
of weeks before any other of these teams even play
a preseason game.
Speaker 4 (08:56):
Yeah, I'll say the you know, just going into camp
observations from today. I think if there's one thing, the
KeAndre Lambert Smith thing was cool just because we didn't
know he was I didn't know he was gonna be
out there, so I was excited to see that. But
for me, man, when you watch how Aron, how how
Amari and Hampton makes his way through the whole how
(09:19):
skinny he gets and how he it's just it's I
know there's not contact and they're not tackling and they're
not taking people to the ground, but you can still
see it. You can see these these creases, how he
gets through them, how he contorts his body while still
exploding forward, like it's just different, man, And it's There
(09:40):
were a couple different plays where I'm I just happened
to be right in line with the b gap where
he was coming through, and I'm watching bodies everywhere, and
here's this dude that is just getting skinny, and it's
like making his way through this this puzzle and making
himself that piece that fits every single edge. And I
was like, dude, that's he just looks different. Yes, that's
(10:02):
the of all the guy. And then it you know,
of all the guys out there, that's certainly the one
that jumped out to me the most.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Najie Harris. We did that roundtable with Toukni and Popper
and got that news after we taped the podcast, so
we weren't able to address that last week.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
But now you're going to start on the non football
injury list and you hope he's out there sooner than later.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Too. Just active, So they called it active, so that's
a good sign.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
That's a great sign.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Yeah, so hopefully get nas you back.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
But again, what an opportunity for Marion to kind of
start in this position. He looks the part and it
goes along the lines of the whole Trey Harris Kalist thing.
Just new guys on the offense gets it as well.
In the tight ends room interior offensive line Bradley Boseman
starting at center as Ion was left guard today.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Yeah, and then but they rotated.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
You know, I saw a handful of those those seven
on seven are these the elevens where he was playing
center as well, So they kind of they rotated today
for sure, and that's what I anticipate they're going to do.
Kind of going back to your point about Naji like that,
you know, if he's fine, and it sounds like he is,
the positive theirs is that you know what you have
in him. You know, you don't know what you have
(11:11):
in in Rocket and come onie, I think in a
second year. So it allows those guys to get some
more reps that would maybe normally be going to a
Marion Hampton because Nag he's taken the ones and then
you know there's that pecking order.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
So now I think that's good.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
It gives you an opportunity to evaluate because that's a
stacked room, you know, and we've talked about it that
that fourth running back. I don't think there's any I'd
be very surprised if Asan Haskins didn't make the team.
So I do think it's quite a competition for that
fourth running back. And so you're gonna get those extra
reps there.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
That's going to help.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
And again, I think I just say it that way
not to dismiss Nachi, but we know what he is,
and it's like, if he's okay, and it sounds like
he is, he's down here now. They just wanted him
to stay up there with his doctors at Sandford who
was getting worked with. I guess it was pretty gnarly ordeal.
His buddy got got pretty messed up. So you know,
you hope everybody's all right, and you don't want to
just kind of keep it focused on football, but it
(12:01):
you know, for for the purposes of this pod, I
think it's it sounds like the football stuff is okay,
So get some extra reps in there, because yeah, one
of those guys is likely you know, he hopefully makes
it through to the practice squad, and you know it's
going to kind of be that sort of in case
of emergency break last guy from.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
From a football perspective too, I mean, he doesn't miss games.
So when Nazi's ready to go and he's he can
get on the grass, he's as durable as they come
from a running back perspective. And yeah, I do think
that this, you know, and coach even said this before
because he speaks before a.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Hack of oppresser.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
It was got to tell you, man, please, you know,
as a good twenty seven minutes you're gonna want to
take in over there at chargers dot Com.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Listen to that.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Hopefully you've watched it by now after you listen to
charges weekly. But coach kind of said that today was
going to be like an extension of mini camp, like
and like day three, day four mini camp.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
That's pretty much what we saw.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
Yeah, I mean it was scheduled for two hours. It
went after stretching hour and change. I mean like it
barely hit an hour if you don't count like the
stretching portion, and you know they were wrapping it up.
I think they you know, they actually started kind of
doing football activities. Around ten fifteen ish and they were
wrapping up at ten after eleven, so and you know,
(13:14):
players appreciate that. I don't want to. You know, it's
not high school where we were jumping into the fire
and doing two a days and one hundred and five
degree weather and they're handing assault pills. So that was
you know, it was fun walking around and talking to
the people too. All the you know, is packed. It
was sold out. The tickets, not that you have to
buy them so but you just have to. Really, that
was that was the highlight for me. Man.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
It's so good to see everybody back here and excited
about football. It feels like we never left. It's hard
to believe that the bolt was built last year. A
week later camp started and now it's just like I
feel like everybody collectively, from the people who work here
to the fans is everybody was in a groove today like, hey,
we're back.
Speaker 4 (13:54):
And I'll tell you the one thing I saw is
I saw a lot of navies, man. I saw when
I was driving in and all the people that had
to park off site were walking in. I saw Joe
alt Navy, I saw a Derwin Navy. I saw dayon Navy, like,
that's you know, from the uniform revealed two days ago.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
What was your you know this this.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Is we're past the news cycle now, but like forty
eight hours later, what'd you think?
Speaker 4 (14:18):
I totally get it. I mean, I look, I made
I'm an old guy. I'm an old man. So the
Chargers Royal Blues were my Charger Like I remember seeing
you know them with Dan Fouts on National TV and
thinking that's the Those uniforms and the Dolphin uniforms were
my favorite uniforms when I was a kid. So then
you have the epic in Miami and it's like this
greatest uniform matchup in the history of the world. So
(14:39):
I've just always been attached to the Royals. I think
a lot of fans take that is I don't like
the Navies. No, I'm fine with the Navies. I was
just asked, what would you prefer the alternate to be,
and I was like, yeah, for me, the Royals. But
having said that, the Navies look good man, and I
think seeing the bouncing the step of the fans and
how excited they were talking about it, the super Argers
(15:00):
and just look, I'm fortunate to have, you know, become
friends with low Neil, and I know what what that
uniform means to him. To that era where you have
multiple Hall of Famers in Ladanian and Antonio Gates while
we're out in Canton. You know, that's what they're going
there for, you know, the the Rodney Harrison retirements. When
they're gonna wear it like, I get it, you know,
(15:22):
I totally get that. That's what it had to be,
and that's what was really going to move the needles.
So I'll take that on the Navies and they better
win a freaking game in them and I'll let you
take the Sunshine and the Golds, the yellows, the goals,
whatever we let me.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
Let me just say that the rollout for both of
them was amazing, Lawless, that's always yeah. Shout out to
the entire Content Video social team that the Supercharger Vibe.
First of all, it feels like Derwin and Deayone played
in that era.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
It looked like they played in that era.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
The really cool uh, the old school phone, everything about it.
It was really cool, really really good. And the Sunshine Gold,
I think there is the there was a little bit
of a mix with the Gold, but I think people
who were hesitated about at the beginning of the day.
Came around like twelve hours later. I saw so many
people like, you know what, the goals have grown on me,
and then they see Durwin look at it and put
(16:14):
it on and freak out that it looks so good.
I think it grew in a lot of people, and
I liked it. They are paying homage to that that
Coriel Fouts era with the gold because the goal is
a you know, although they'd never wore gold jersey's like,
it's a big color. It's a big part of what
that that early era was all about.
Speaker 4 (16:31):
Yeah, it's look, it's it's not about me. It's well,
I look, I am a fan too, but it's you know,
if the fans are into it and the players are
into it and they feel good wearing them, then great.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
It's one game too.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (16:43):
And now now if I can nitpicky, sure, because that's
what I do. My my one issue with the goal.
A lot of people are saying, oh, I wish it
was just don't wear the yellow pants, wear the gold
jersey and wear the white pan, or wear the gold
jersey and the powder blue pan, and that'd be great.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
That's fine.
Speaker 4 (17:00):
I can I can see that, but for me, it's
it was always weird for me to see the color
rush and the white helmet. It's like, wait a minute,
head to toe, your one color, and then I get
to the head and it's this bright white helmet. That's
why the Navy's never really hit before, right, it just
always looks straight. So that's why the navies when you
see this, really like, Okay, that looks good and it's
(17:21):
head to toe. So I think, I know, it would
have been even more of a my god, you know
if you had a gold helmet as well.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
But I think, believe it or not, it probably would
have worked.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
Because to me, the white helmet just looks like this
sort of I don't know, it's just like a It's
like a doll up of whip cream on top of
your banana ice cream or something like that. So that's
that's my only because I can't help myself. I like
uniforms so freaking much, way too much for who I am,
you know, for the type of person.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
You see a lot of young people where the gold
is games too, it's.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
So far there were a handful of it because they've
been around. Yeah, they've had those that the Nike has
made that gold that gold jersey for a while and
I like, look, I like the color too. So for me,
you know, I do have a Charger Power T shirt
that a fan was nice enough to give me from
their closet. They asked if I would wear a shirt
that was forty years old, and I was like, of
course I would, so they gave it to me, and
I think I've worn it around here before. But it's
(18:14):
that old school air Coriel Charger Power T shirt. It's
all ripped up, it's got to rip on the collars whatever.
Love this thing so bellow chick esque, Yes, exactly. So
for me, yes, I know you're disappointed there was the Royal.
It was I'm not gonna lie. I was disappointed. I
wanted some Royal, But that's fine. You know that these
will be their alternates moving forward, and hopefully they stick
(18:35):
and they don't swap them out after two years. And
I think it's safe to say the Navies are here
to stay because the fans are just beyond stoked about
that particular jersey, and I think a lot of them
are already sold out. So if you want one, get
after it right away.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
It's you know, like we're looking at the LT Navy
right now. And what's great about is the bolt is
the kind of the same size on the shoulder and helmet,
but it it does have.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
Like a little bit of a modern look. Oh it's
way different. Yeah, it's I believe it's.
Speaker 5 (19:05):
I was.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
I was because some people were getting upset with me
about like, you, bum, you don't know what these navies
mean this.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
I was, like, I do, but you don't know that.
Speaker 4 (19:14):
I'm fifty years old and I watched the Chargers when
they were in Royals.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
I'm not thirty, I'm twenty years older than you. So
Navies hit they changed from Royal to Navy. So for
me that.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
Transition was like, ah, those are the best uniforms in
the league. Like that's how I felt when they made
that shift thirty years ago. But these Navies are different.
And I was, you know, because I was having these
interactions with all these people and let it be known,
folks don't take anything personally on social media. If you
just engage and be, you know, have a conversation, people
(19:47):
typically come around and you learn things. And someone had
said and I don't know if this is true, but
they said, yeah, this iteration of navies they wore once,
but only one time, that this particular look the way
the color of the bolt, the helmet, like all of
it was actually worn. I want to say it was
like over twenty years ago in a single game. It
was like a Monday night football game. They had said
(20:09):
in like two thousand and three that this particular the
style of the bolt, that all of that, you know,
not lootactically, but but just color wise the way everything
was laid out. So it is I think, I mean,
I'll take them at their word. It was very detailed
this response to me. So I was like, all right,
I assume that's let's go.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
To do our homework.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Let's go to two thousand and three Bundy Night football
games exactly. Let's let's get to Tyler Conklin. Let's do
that really good conversation with Tyler. They won a training
camp here he is well as promised. Tyler Conklin joins
us on Chargers Weekly, fresh off the field after day
one of camp. First impressions of training camp under Jim Harball, Tyler.
Speaker 5 (20:48):
I'm excited.
Speaker 6 (20:49):
I mean, I love the way we do things as
a team. I love the team that we got. Im
just excited about it.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
You've you've been in a few is every camp different?
It's every camp kind of the same.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
I know it's only one day, but just kind of
the vibe around the team, How different or how similar
is to other places you've been.
Speaker 6 (21:04):
Yeah, I mean, I think it's a little bit of both, right,
Like everybody kind of does certain things alike, and then
there's always different nuances and we do things and so
I mean it changes year by year and coach by
coach or you know, by coaches experiences of how they
think any to change it to get us ready. But
you know, I'm excited for the way they've kind of
you can tell how much like thought and preparation they
put into this camp schedule and really building us up
(21:27):
for the season ahead.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
You know, just your your experience with the Chargers and
just a few months that you've been here, being in
a new environment, getting used to the quarterback, the tight
ends room, the offense in general. How has that transition
been from New York.
Speaker 6 (21:41):
Yeah, there's always It's always a lot, right, like moving
across the coast to coast, literally coast to coast, finding
a place to live, you know, meet new people, creating friends,
building relationships, learning offense. But it's all fun doing it right, Like,
you know, Justin's a great dude to have him, you know,
leading us as a quarterback and you a tight end
friend of the offense where you know we play a
lot of tight ends and get to do a lot
(22:01):
of different things in his offense is really exciting.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (22:03):
You mentioned tight ends, right, So you look at Will
and Talker is out there and then they draft a
ronde and kind of you look like you're sort of
the the guy that it fits in the middle of
all of that kind of how would you describe yourself
as a tight end to the folks that are watching
and listening.
Speaker 6 (22:17):
Yeah, it's kind of what I've always prided myself on,
is you know, playing receiver when I first got to
college and playing basketball and receiver, and when I became
a tight end, my thing was like, you're a tight end,
Like we got to do everything. So I always took
pride and sometimes it was to a fault right of
like trying to we got to be good at so
many different things past game, run, game, pass, pro, but
I always took pride and be able to do all
those different things and be a three down player. So
(22:39):
we definitely have a little bit of everything in our
room with you know, Tuck Matt Locke. You know, Will
can do everything. You know, Aaranda, he's got so much
as a receiver. Obviously played receiver, so he's got a
lot of talent in that category, and he's willing to block.
And that's really what blocking comes down to, right what
was your willingness to go and get better at it
and be coached at and so I like to think
we can all do a little bit everything.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
You know in this offense.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
You know, justin really spreads the wealth, you know among
tight ends, receivers, backs. How do you envision your role
going this year and just that chemistry with just that
you've already established this offseason.
Speaker 6 (23:14):
Yeah, it's a tricky question, right, Like every year you
go into it. I've always gone into it like, Okay,
what are my goals for this year? You know, you
know accolades, catches, yards, you know, no mas, no drops,
Like what are my goals? And you never really know,
right because so many different things happen throughout the season, Like,
you know, what is the chemistry, how does that building?
What does that look like? You know, throughout the stages.
(23:35):
There's so many different stages throughout the season. You know what,
you know, what's the games like, how are they getting called? Well,
you know, are we playing from behind or in front?
But I do just love the way, like I said earlier,
just the things that tight end gets to do in
this offense from a route tree standpoint, the way we're
going to run the ball. That makes it a lot
easier on the tight end when you run the ball. Well,
So I do think.
Speaker 5 (23:54):
There's the ability to have a very productive tight.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
End room Tyler. You say drops, you don't drop the ball?
Speaker 4 (23:59):
Like, so what And it's not like you're you know,
you're getting sixty catch seasons out there? So what what
goes into that? How much of it is concentration? Is
it proud?
Speaker 6 (24:08):
Like?
Speaker 1 (24:08):
What goes into being someone that does not drop the ball?
Speaker 5 (24:11):
Yeah? I mean it's it's a focus. It's a focus thing.
Speaker 6 (24:13):
A lot of times, uh, you know, things happen, right,
we tend to have you know, drops happen, and you know,
I haven't been perfect, but I have pride in myself
on you know, being secure and it comes to catching
the ball. And I just feel like since I was
a kid, I was always you know, everybody kind of
has a trait. When they were playing little league football
and you know, some people were amazing after the catch
and it just like naturally do some amazing things, and
it kind of translates to when they get old they
(24:34):
kind of just black out on the field and do
some things and like, man, how'd you do that? Like
I don't know, I just wound up seventy yard touchdown
the end zone. And that's kind of how it is
for me catching the ball. I feel like I always
naturally called the ball and you know, I feel very comfortable,
just kind of you know, something I've always been pretty
good at. And to make sure I stay on top
of it, you know, just do what you're supposed to do, right,
get catches and do the little things and focus.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
Yeah, I think it was like two three weeks ago.
There's a video on Twitter that with viral of you
just working out on the Also.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
I thought it was awesome.
Speaker 5 (25:01):
No, yeah, I enjoy I enjoyed doing receiver stuff. You know.
Speaker 6 (25:05):
I had the community event in a camp youth camp
back home, and we did three different camps and the
last camp was I brought like some of the top
high school kids in the state, and I brought one
of the top you know trainers everybody seys on Instagram
out because you know, I thought would be cool for
those kids to get the experience of training with somebody
that trains you know pros. And there's a couple other
pros that you know I played with in the past
or played you know, high level college guys and whatnot.
(25:26):
And yeah, I didn't expect it to blow up because
I've been doing stuff like that for you know, eight
years and you know, accounting, so it's always kind of
an off season thing of working with a receiver coach
against some of that in right, Like, there's so many
phases to you know, training throughout the off season, and
that just happened to blow up, and you know, people
have their opinions.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Good in back, I loved it.
Speaker 4 (25:44):
Two hundred and sixty pounds. Men aren't supposed to move
like that. That's the big takeaway. So with that being said, like,
what's that transition like when you're when you're thinking about
moving to tight end and you've got to put on
all this weight and you're a former basketball player in
this high level athlete. Now you've got to carry all
this extra weight how hard or is that to just
put it on and then to work with that extra
weight on you.
Speaker 5 (26:04):
Yeah, put it on was tough.
Speaker 6 (26:05):
Uh you know honestly, like I kind of put it on,
I feel like in a good way to where it
didn't really affect me too much. Like I didn't lift
a tone when I was playing basketball and when I
was young at all. So I feel like I had
so much room to grow as I got bigger, Like
I got to get stronger and learn how to run
and learn how to get faster. And I thought, I
think the best thing with basketball was just the fluidity
it teaches of just reacting right, going beginning to rebound,
(26:28):
crossovers and and.
Speaker 5 (26:29):
All those things.
Speaker 6 (26:30):
So I think the movement portion of it wasn't too difficult,
but the gaining weight portion was was tough at times, right,
like when you're trying it, especially in college, and like, oh,
you got to be two thirty at this time, and
I'm like, you know, chugging milkshakes and eating Wendy's like
right before the way and then throwing up when I
walk out of there.
Speaker 5 (26:45):
Like so the way game was the way game was tough.
Speaker 6 (26:48):
But then you know, once once it sticks it starts sticking.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
As a VET. How much juice does it give you
to be in a new environment.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
And just seeing what this team did last year and
you know, looking at that wide receiver position, you know
Will had a lot on us play last year. Uh,
Hayden Hurst who was here, had a lot of injuries.
So I feel like there's a there's a really solid
role for you. So you couple that with just the
fact that they want to live in games and you
get to kind of come into this new environment.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
How much juice does they give you as a VET?
Speaker 3 (27:18):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (27:18):
A lot?
Speaker 6 (27:18):
Right, you know, going to free agency, I wasn't really
sure how I was going to play out, But it
didn't play out. I guess necessarily how I expected it
to play out in all honesty, and uh, you know.
Speaker 5 (27:25):
When I come here on my visit, uh, I just
knew it was.
Speaker 6 (27:28):
The it was the right situation, right, like meeting coach
har Ball and coach Herb and just like the people
here and the way they do things and the expectation
and the standard and like you said, the ability that
for Justine spread the ball around and the opportunity to
go out there and have the best season of my career,
and you never know what's gonna happen in football season.
But all you can ask for is opportunity, right, the
opportunity to go into camping and earn the starting spot,
(27:50):
going to camp and earned the ability to them for
the coaches to want to get you targets and earn
the ability to trust Justine trusted to get those targets.
And that's all you can ask for the league at
you know, when they're drafting people and there's new people
coming in every year trying to, you know, take your spot.
So to be in a situation, a winning situation, a
team that you know has built the way this team's built,
(28:10):
you know, it's not many situations that could have been
better than this one.
Speaker 4 (28:14):
You're you're qualified to weigh in on this more than
most folks. I don't know if you remember like two
years ago. I'm sure you do, but the whole basketball
versus football thing, you know could and it's a great illustration,
right because I mean, taking nothing away from your basketball career,
but you're a D two basketball player, you go to
D one tight end and now you're in the league
for what it's six seven years. Now they're going to
(28:35):
eight like we don't see it going on eight, so
we don't see a lot of football guys going to basketball.
So with that whole debate, like where do you come
out on that? Because I think about like Julius Peppers
and what kind of basketball player it was versus a
Hall of Fame football player. Is it easier to make
that transition to football from basketball?
Speaker 6 (28:52):
I mean, there's so many very variables that go into it, Like,
you know, for me, it came to the point of,
like my traits just made more sense for football, Like
as much as my dream was to play professional basketball,
like my traits just made more sense. And I feel
like usually football players don't. Usually when you see a
football player play basketball is usually not as pretty, usually choppy,
not very fluid, little you know, you use your five
(29:14):
files kind of guy. So I do think it's an
easier transition from you know, basketball to football because at
that point you just gotta probably start lifting weights. And
I mean the learning curve is was the biggest thing
for me. Like when I was first learning the college playbook,
I'm like, oh, like this is you don't have to
watch that much film in college basketball. You don't gotta
I mean, I wasn't there for that long. But like
(29:34):
the whole mental side of the of the sport is
just completely different.
Speaker 4 (29:37):
But what about like that they would say, oh, basketball
players wouldn't be able to deal with the physicality.
Speaker 6 (29:43):
I think it's just person by person. Some people wouldn't
be able to, some people would be able to. I
think it's all relative. I don't want to get into
which one can do it, because I mean there's some
people that could probably do both and some people that
probably can't.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
I mean, I don't want to guard cock in the
in the box.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
I mean I used to.
Speaker 5 (29:58):
I used to be a little guy though, point guard,
shooting guard.
Speaker 6 (30:01):
So I was just like one hundred ninety pounds, and
you know, I thought I was a little better basketball
player than I was.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
So you still play.
Speaker 6 (30:07):
I used to win the off season a lot. It
was just a good cardio. But as I get older
and whatnot.
Speaker 5 (30:13):
It's just not worth the risk.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Yeah at all.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
Hey, you know what you said. Anything can happen in
a training camp. We just got breaking news. Mike Williams
just retired. I know you played with him last year,
remember the Jets, And you know we've known Mike since
twenty seventeen amazing period. We were so excited to see
him on the grass this year, but wasn't meant to
be just your thoughts on Mike is a guy, because
I know that you played with him last year as well.
Speaker 6 (30:36):
Yeah, and me and Mike built a good relationship in
New York and then kind of ended up back here.
Was funny because they really helped my transition through OTAs
of knowing somebody and having a relationship with somebody.
Speaker 5 (30:47):
You know.
Speaker 6 (30:47):
I mean, that's just and that's hard to answer, right.
It catches me off, catching me by surprise a little
bit too. But I'm sure he's making the best decision
for himself and you know where him and his family's
at and whatnot, So you know, I'm excited for him
and what's next. But I agree, Mike's one of the
best people.
Speaker 5 (31:03):
You know.
Speaker 6 (31:03):
I haven't known as long as you guys know him,
but in my short amount of time playing with him
and knowing him, he was a great person.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:08):
You just going back to you and coming here, Like
when you get ready or when you're getting ready for camp,
are you watching like Herbert and Hunter Henry and Jared Cock.
Are you watching that stuff or are you watching Greg Roman,
you know, Baltimore offenses in San Francisco? Like do you
get into that or is it all just clean slate?
Let me go in and kind of absorb it as
(31:29):
it comes to me.
Speaker 5 (31:29):
A little bit of both.
Speaker 6 (31:31):
Actually, the first time I ever started kind of going
back and watching like, oh, like when I was playing
with Aaron, Like when Aaron first got to New York,
I'm like, all right, let me go back and watch
him play with you know, Rob Haanyan or you know
whoever you know Mercedes or whoever his tight end was,
and how he did things, especially just like with all
the nuances that Aaron had as a quarterback, Like I
was really kind of like, okay, how do I see
(31:52):
the game the same way as him as quick as possible?
So that was my first time really doing that about
two years ago and then coming into this situation. It's
something I'm happy I'd learned because it really carried over,
like how can I kind of see how coach calls things?
Speaker 5 (32:03):
See what justin likes.
Speaker 6 (32:05):
You know, I've always really appreciated like the way Hunter
Henry played a game of football. You know, he was
always just so savvy and did a little bit of everything,
just like I started to do.
Speaker 5 (32:13):
So it is something I do. But at the same time,
it's like, let's go out there.
Speaker 6 (32:17):
And build this thing. And you know, you can only
do so much thinking. You know, you gotta go out
there and play and react.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
You know, I think back to your time with the Jets.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
It's just the great defenses that you guys had there
and going up against those guys on a daily basis
and practice. You come here and guys like Derwin James
and Dayon Henley. Your your impressions of this jesse Mentor
led defense.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
That you have to go up against on a daily basis.
Speaker 6 (32:40):
Yeah, I mean the biggest difference is in New York, right,
they did the same thing every time like we weren't.
They didn't do a ton right like we recover three
and it was what it was. You know, Coach Mentor
does so many you know they'll be in four down,
they'll be and three down it'll be you know, tricky too,
Like there's so many different things they do from a
cover standpoint and front standpoint that you know, it's a
lot different. We were New York's four down cover three
(33:01):
you know occasion, you know, man On third, like it
wasn't too much, you know, getting to the line, having
to figure out what was going on. You think a
little bit more here now here it's like okay, like
what are we doing? Like what are they doing? How
does this change my rules? What all I gotta change?
And then like obviously named some great players, right, like
you know me and Dermam got drafted in the same class,
and you know the career he's had his you know,
I guess he's lived up to all the hype, right
(33:23):
he gets drafted as Derwy James, and he's lived up
to all of it and exceeded some so and some
of the young guys on this defense that have just
stepped up, you know last year the corners and obviously
you got k Mack and whatnot, who I you know,
unfortunately had to play against a handful of times when
I was in Minnesota because those are some good defenses too,
when he was in Chicago in twenty nineteen and whatnot. Right,
(33:45):
it's a really you know, it's a really talented defense
and coach mentors a you know, hell hell of a
defensive coache.
Speaker 4 (33:49):
So two days ago, yeah, big day. I don't know
if you kind of picked up on it. But Charger
uniforms are kind of a thing. Yeah, so there we go.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
Good. Just kind of your thoughts now that you're here.
What do you think would be your favorite combo?
Speaker 5 (34:04):
That The Navy's pretty sweet?
Speaker 6 (34:07):
Yeah, it's just like a childhood thing, right, Like I
grew up watching LT and Antonio Gates, especially him being
a Michigan guy. Like he's my favorite tight end of
all time. So you know he was college basketball player, right,
you know, Hall of Famer now, Like he's always been
kind of somebody that I've watched throughout you know, my.
Speaker 5 (34:23):
Especially my transition to football.
Speaker 6 (34:25):
But so it was a nostalgic and you know LT
and the dark visor too, right, it's just it's just sick.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (34:31):
But the powder of blues are sweet, especially like the
powdered blue pants with the white jersey. I think that's
a good home UNI like, and I like, I know
the yellows. Everybody's kind of some people.
Speaker 1 (34:40):
Like it depends right, like gold look good on this
smaller guys.
Speaker 6 (34:42):
I want to say, I enjoy like for a titand
I feel like I enjoy looking good out there, right,
And I think I'm gonable to make those yellows look
really good. But I guess we'll we'll find out what
people think.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
Anybody who were hesitant about the yellows, like twelve hours
later they came around because the.
Speaker 5 (34:56):
Big guy like the yellow.
Speaker 6 (34:58):
Yeah, the big guys don't like all wh right, Like
big guys are all we all white, we look fat.
Speaker 5 (35:03):
They hate wearing all white.
Speaker 6 (35:04):
So yellow they're gonna be like I saw Andrew Whitworth
said something like, I remember when we did the yellows
and I just looked like big bird out there. So
you know, Joe might not like it, but so old lineman,
but I think they're gonna be.
Speaker 1 (35:17):
Sweetie Becking in the gold is something to see.
Speaker 6 (35:20):
Makay likes. Makai looks trying to, you know, get his
swag right. So you were in New York took yeah,
So MacKaye probably really tried to find a way to
to make it look sweet on him, or at least
what he thinks looks sweet.
Speaker 4 (35:33):
But I'll finish with this. I don't know Chris has
anything else. Just you know, you seem like someone that
that gets out there. Have you gotten out around town?
Speaker 1 (35:41):
Like how how is La? It's obviously a little bit
different than Minnesota and New York. Yeah, just kind of
your impressions.
Speaker 6 (35:47):
I haven't done too much yet, just because my wife
hasn't been here. She's kind of the one that like
drags me out of the house and we got a
we got a seven month old son, so that limits
too much exploring. But when she gets out here, I mean,
we've done like our beach days and she's excited. When
when I came from my visit, she was just like
at home praying that I was gonna sign here.
Speaker 5 (36:04):
So I called. She's like, oh, and I'm like, yeah,
we're staying. She was just losing it.
Speaker 6 (36:08):
We've been somewhere cold in my whole career, like that's
college at Central Michigan, went to Minnesota, went to New
Jersey from Michigan. So she's like, I guess you live
on the beach and in decent. We're warm for the
first time in my life.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
That's right.
Speaker 5 (36:18):
So getting her back to Michigan is going to be
the hard part.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
Right, Well, maybe that's just stay a couple of Super Bowls, O.
Speaker 5 (36:23):
You make it your extension and hang around exactly.
Speaker 3 (36:27):
Well, hey, Tyler, we were pumped to see you in
powder blue gold Navy but whatever it.
Speaker 5 (36:33):
Is, man, best jerseys in the league, no doubt.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
No, we appreciate your time.
Speaker 5 (36:35):
Man, I appreciate you guys.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
Thank you, Thanks to sobody.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
We didn't really get an opportunity to talk to Tyler
during the off season, so good conversation day one in
the books.
Speaker 4 (36:45):
Yeah, and you know we talked about it before he
joined us for the interview. He's going to be important.
I think people are really starting to come around to
that idea from it being a are you going to
draft Tyler Warren or Colston Lovelin to you know, having
ingram was your visiting and I think once all of
that got squared away and now people it's not just
a tight end. It's a tight end in an offense
(37:07):
with a certain quarterback. All of that they can't throw
to themselves, catch them, you know, catch the ball that
you know they can't do it all. They've got to
be in the right place with the right offense. And
we've set it repeatedly. You know that that gero that
Greg Roman is going to feature tight ends and he
is going to make sure that Tyler Conklin has opportunities.
(37:28):
And if you tell me you can get a guy
that's athletic. As you know, he said, former basketball player
who doesn't drop the ball. That's going to go a
long way with Justin Herbert, like that is going to go.
Herbert is a trust quarterback.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
He always has been. You know.
Speaker 4 (37:42):
That's why Keenan had a hundred plus tardt you know
catches every single year because he implicitly trusted him.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
That's why Mike Williams got all.
Speaker 4 (37:49):
Those fifty fifty balls down the field when plays broke
down and he would just huck it down to him
because he trusted him. That's just the type of quarterback
he is. And to have a tight end, it's like
going through a season with seventy targets and one drop
that's gonna play like that's going to play with Herbert
and with with g Row and with this offense.
Speaker 3 (38:09):
Just to put a button on on the Mike Williams thing.
I think we said it at the top, looking internally,
seems to be the consensus at least at the beginning
of camp. Seeing what you have with you mentioned Jalen Rager,
the two rookies. I think Trey Harris gets in here
sooner than later. Lad Quintin from a trade perspective, Is
(38:29):
there any name that you think would make sense.
Speaker 4 (38:34):
I just don't feel like they're that type of team. Yeah,
but you know they look they made trades last year.
They brought in Elijah Molden and he shined. I think
for this, you know, obviously, Terry McLaurin comes to mind,
just because if things are gonna get that soide, I
just don't Washington can't afford to let him go. Like
(38:57):
you look at the rest of that wide receiver room.
They're coming off a trip the NFC Championship Game with
a second year quarterback, and you're gonna take one of
the best wide receivers in the league away from him.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
That's not gonna happen.
Speaker 4 (39:06):
So outside of that, I don't.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (39:10):
I'd have to probably think a little, you know, because
this news was sprung on us right before we walked
in here. I'd probably have to really rack my brain
and think about it.
Speaker 3 (39:18):
Terry's the only like big name out there that it
seems to be kind of in a in a real
contract dispute with Washington right now.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
But it's he wants thirty million plus.
Speaker 1 (39:29):
And he deserves it. He does.
Speaker 4 (39:30):
He's that good man I'll tell you I did the
broadcast boot camp with him about two months ago and
we ended up hanging out a little bit and chatting
and one of.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
The nicest, class, great dudes.
Speaker 4 (39:43):
And like, now again, I'm clocking in at a cool
one hundred and fifty pounds, so I'm not saying the
same thickness.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
But he's built like me, like he's not. It's weird
to see him.
Speaker 7 (39:54):
I'm like, you're scary, Terry, and like I'm I'm high
level with you, and you know, you're not like this
hulking you know, like when you see him Mon Ra,
he's like a thick dude, And when you see Terry mclaur.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
And you're like, huh, how about that.
Speaker 4 (40:10):
It's just one of those sort of just the way
he play, And I think that speaks to how tough
a player he is. That that's that he's that physical
of a receiver, that he's that good and contested catch
situations and playing through contact. I mean, he's one of
the best in the league. I'm I mean, one of
the greatest catches I've ever seen in my life was
that opener against Washington on the road when I thought
(40:34):
it was an interception I called it as an interception,
and I can't remember who it was. Who was it
a Looey or Michael Davis might have been Michael David.
It was Michael Davis. Went through his hands, like the
ball went through his hands and McLaurin is falling to
the turf and somehow sees it go through his hands
secures the catch. It was remarkable.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
So so you don't want.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
To take that path to say they're not trading him.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
Yeah, I don't think so either, but he you know
what the thing is, he's thirty. Mike Williams is thirty.
Just leave you some context. I think that the reason
why Washington Is hasn't to give him big thirty plus
million money is because they don't want to pay him
at thirty four, right, you know, and he.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
Probably wants a four year deal right a year. So
I don't know. It's it's an interesting you see both sides.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
But I think I'm excuse me, aligned with you that
Mike Williams being gone, Trey Harris KALs Rager, everybody needs
to step up, and everybody just gets moved up a
pecking order.
Speaker 4 (41:30):
At least they'll they'll give them the look is what
is what is one of coaches mantras? Right, I'll finish
up talking too much. It's competitors welcome. So why would
he want to take the competition away from the guys
that he preaches go out there and compete. All right,
Mike's you know, Mike's retiring. We wish him the best.
He's a great guy. Now show me what you got. Yeah,
(41:51):
here's the competition. It's open, it's yours, Trey Harris. Hopefully
that gets done here in the next few hours. And
you know KALs And and Rager and Quintin, Brendan Rice,
you know, getting the Rice and let's see what you.
Speaker 3 (42:03):
Got a lot of people asking about Brennan and Rice too,
So opportunities.
Speaker 1 (42:07):
Still out there, still wearing number eighty two.
Speaker 3 (42:09):
All rybody, this was fun day one in the books.
Thank you to Tyler Cockland for money.
Speaker 2 (42:13):
I am Chris. This has been Chargers Weekly. We'll see
you next week.
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