505: Seattle Seahawks 2026 Season Expectations

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Brandan (00:07):
This is the Sea Hawkers Podcast.
I'm your host, Brandan Schulze, and Iam joined by my good buddy Adam Emmert
for episode 505, getting into our seasonexpectations for the 2026 season, Adam.

Adam (00:24):
Yes, we are, man, in an annual tradition that we haven't missed for
you know, over 10 years here, and I'mexcited to talk about this year, and I'm
sure everybody's gonna be excited to, youknow, think about what this season could
look like for the Seahawks as we go outand run this forward and go back-to-back.

Brandan (00:43):
It's been more than 10 years, less than 15, so somewhere in that range.
Yeah.
And, happy podiversary toyou, because this is usually-
Sure… where we wish each otherour, our podiversary, even though
it's a couple weeks late, it's fine.

Adam (00:55):
That's fine.
And, hey, look, I, I always feellike y- once you kinda get past the
double digit mark, like every yearyou should kinda check in on that
relationship and be like, "Are we good?
We still wanna keep going forward?"
And so are, are we good?
Do you still wanna keep going forward

? Brandan (01:09):
Oh, gosh.
I, I hadn't even, considered it.
Okay.
So, I didn't know

Adam (01:13):
if you wanted a podivorce.
Like, you just, you never know.
Maybe you've been- I-… secretlybrewing over it the whole- I

Brandan (01:17):
had not been secretly brewing up the paperwork.
I, I feel like ahead of this showwould've been the time to do it, like
I don't know, maybe in the off-season.
Probably.
Because that would be…
This would be a hard time to tellpeople who are fans of the Seahawks
and longtime listeners of the showto break that news to them, like
right at the start of the season.
Like I, I have enough considerationfor our audience that, I

(01:40):
wouldn't wanna do that to themright before the season starts.

Adam (01:43):
See, that's great.
See, in…
Now I know that if we ever areget a pod breakup, it's not gonna
be around our birthdays, it'snot gonna be around any of that.
You're very considerate aboutit, and I appreciate that- Yeah
about you.
Yeah.

Brandan (01:53):
June, July, start to worry.
'Cause that would be the, thatwould be the optimal time.

Adam (01:57):
Yeah.
We'll white-knuckle it throughthose two months every year.
Yeah.

Brandan (02:01):
All right.
So we got, news to talk about.
And, and one of the things that I, Ithink I wanna do with the show this
year, because, okay, we've got Seahawkshead coach Mike Macdonald heading into
the third season as our head coach.
It, it, it's been cool because insteadof a sophomore slump last year, we
we got a, a sophomore Super Bowl run,and, our second Super Bowl out

(02:23):
of the deal as part of the franchise.
you know, it, this, these lastfew months we've got to see a lot
more behind the scenes of Coach Mike.
And so kinda what I wanna do is, isgo through, because I think we have
some Seahawks fans too who are hoppingon board, that now it's the start
of the season, now is the time tostart getting invested in the season.

(02:43):
They don't care about what happenedthroughout the all, the, the entire
off-season, and, and now might bethe perfect jumping in spot to be
like, "Okay, so what did I miss?
Now you guys are obviously still here.
What, what did I miss this off-seasonnow that since we've won the Super Bowl
and now that we're about to go win asecond straight one with Coach Mike?"

Adam (03:02):
Yeah.
And when you suggested that doing justlike kind of a quick recap for a lot
of the folks that don't follow theNFL and the Seahawks, you know, 24/7-
They may need that little bit of arefresher, a little catch-up, and I
so I thought that was a, a cool idea.
And if I were to sum it uppretty quickly, it would be
pretty much kept everybody.

(03:22):
The people that left, oh well,and I think we're in good
shape, and [bleep] the Rams.
I- w- pretty close?

Brandan (03:29):
I, I, I would maybe hammer that last point a little bit harder.
Sure.
Because it just, it…
I, I don't think you couldemphasize that part enough.
I, th- there were somepeople who left, though.
We, we lost safety Coby Bryant, you know.
He was a, a starter withour team in the Super Bowl.
He ends up signing with the Bears, butthen he gets injured this off-season

(03:50):
which is a big bummer for Kobe.
we lose Boye Mafe, whosigned with the Bengals.
Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walkersigns with the, the dirty Chiefs.
and, Riq Woolensigns with the Eagles.
So, Dreak Young, anotherspecial teams player, signs with
the Raiders, and those are kindof the major losses, I feel like.

(04:10):
Which maybe doesn't feel all that major

Adam (04:14):
It doesn't feel all that major, and that was one of the
things that if you weren't followingthis through the off-season
I'll just let you know, you shouldhave been annoyed all off-season.
I was for you, that everybody waskinda pointing towards Riq Woolen's
up-and-down play as like this lossthat is irreplaceable, and then talking
about solid starter type player in CobyBryant and being like, well, how do

(04:36):
you ever, how do you deal with that?
And then y- looking at KennethWalker coming off of the Super Bowl
MVP, that, that gave him some extrashine that I don't think that he
had coming into this last season.
And it's not like he had one ofthose seasons like start to finish
that you looked at and was like,"Oh my gosh, what a breakout year.

(04:57):
This is what we've all been waiting for."
It was kinda one of those things whereonce Sharps got hurt late in the year
he came on and, and really helpedsolidify the run game, and then also
too, the opponents really did helpus with running the football because
they were absolutely terrified ofSam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
So, I think that's something thatyou can find replacements for, and

(05:21):
I think John did a great job goingout and actually kinda plugging those
holes in, not even reloading, butjust kind of massaging the edges of
of the roster to make it so that youcan take these 90-odd some percent of
players that we've kept and make thatanother run at another Super Bowl.

Brandan (05:37):
I think they had very good reason of, of being scared of Jaxon Smith-Njigba
who ended up finishing number fivein the NFL's- Yeah… top 100.
One of the few guys who f- one ofthe few Seahawks in history who
have finished inside the top 10, socongrats to JSN, who also finished as
Offensive Player of the Year last year.

(05:58):
And then he, he did all that, and thenhe got a big fat contract from the
Seahawks, too, and, and became one ofthe top paid wide receivers in the NFL.

Adam (06:07):
That's right.
great signing.
Young player ascending, and he'sgreat, so give the man his money.
We all agree with that.
Devon Witherspoon got his bag.
Fantastic.
We're all stoked about that.
And then Leonard Williams getshis extension here just the
other day, and that's awesome.
So, for all of you littleFlockers who, you know, checked out

(06:28):
for the summer and had cool thingsto do, we're in good shape.
That, that's what you need to know,and I think that's gonna be reflected
as we go through what our expectationsare here for the upcoming 2026 season.

Brandan (06:40):
Yeah.
Well, not only did we sign someplayers, keep some players, you know
Rashid Shaheed was one of thoseguys who was, a potential guy who
could've been lost in free agency,along with Josh Jobe and Josh Jones.
We keep both the Joshes.
And I guess the other big pieceof news was that we got a, a new
ownership group this off-season, too.

(07:00):
So, yeah, let's just hope that theykeep things the way things have been going
and, everything will be just fine

Adam (07:09):
everything is going to be just fine because we have
John and Mike at the top of thisorganization, and then all of the
fine people that John points outall the time in the organization
that kinda keeps that ship steady.
And look, I mean, I've never been abillionaire, will never be a billionaire.
I've been a hundredaire.
That's been pretty cool.
It's probably the

Brandan (07:28):
same.
But…

Adam (07:28):
Yeah, it's probably the same.
All I know is that if I could have, ponied up the, what was it, 9.6
or whatever it was thatthey bought it for

Brandan (07:36):
9.612.
9.612.

Adam (07:40):
Ah, well that's, that's fitting.
Look, I know that if I looked aroundthe league and watched all the other
new owners come in, I'd be like,"Oh, new owner syndrome is real.
Oh, we've actually got, like, a reallysolid core here in leadership group.
Guess what?
Here's my 9.612
and, I'm just gonna sit backand watch this thing hum, baby.

(08:03):
Let's go."

Brandan (08:04):
I feel like that's the way to do it, and if you are a fan of
football, which it sounds like thefamily is, then yeah, you, you
want to win, and you recognize awinning organization and go, "Eh, it's
probably best that we not do anythingtoo drastic to help screw this up."
Maybe only do things that givethem, some things that

(08:25):
that may even help them more.

Adam (08:27):
Hey, if it ain't broke, you know?
And this team is certainly far from broken

Brandan (08:32):
Well, there's one thing that, that may change a little
bit, and maybe it's the placeto start, is with the offense.
Because one of the things that issignificant, I, I think even more
significant than losing some of theplayers who were very impactful, K9
very impactful, especially inthe stretch run through the playoffs.

(08:55):
But losing him and then losing KlintKubiak to head coach the Raiders
n- I would feel much better aboutthe season had we just maintained
continuity with Klint Kubiak, butthat is one of the things that happens
when you're a Super Bowl champ.
They want your players,they want your coaches.
They got one of our coaches.

Adam (09:15):
They did.
And, you know, a guy that I was firedup for when they brought in, a guy who
executed the type of offense that you andI have been screaming about on this show
seemingly for, the past few years.
And, you know, really brought somestability to that side of the football and
some, you know, consistent productivity.

(09:35):
And what's interesting is theybring in Brian Fleury and it does
seem as if the continuity's there.
We, we hear about it in allthe pressers and all of that.
There's of course gonna be some changes.
There are gonna be some growing pains, as a first-time play caller.
But it'll be interesting to see CoachMike navigate another season with yet

(09:56):
another new OC, just going into his thirdyear and already winning a Super Bowl.
That would just, still just blows my mind.

Brandan (10:03):
It, it does.
It, it is mind-blowing.
Third, season, third OC, andthat's not a trend that I'd like
to see necessarily continue.
Although, i- if we have to losean OC every time we win a Super
Bowl with a defensive coach

Adam (10:20):
that- Let's lose one every year, every year.
Let's just- Let's go

… Brandan (10:22):
let's just lose one every o- every year and- Yeah… hope
that he continues to, to hire well.
Because judging from everything thatwe've heard from him this off season
Coach Brian Fleury does seem tofit that mindset that, much more of
the mindset that we saw with Kubiakthan, than anything from before.

(10:43):
So, and I, I don't evenwanna think about from before.
So, he, Brian Fleury seems to havethat mindset of what Coach Mike wants.
And you have a lot of the, somestability within the coaching staff, too.
Not all of the coaches were poachedgoing along with Kubes down to Vegas.
So, I, I feel like with enough of thestaff offensively still around and some

(11:08):
of that mindset of wanting to run thefootball but also, you know, explosive
passing game, and even some of the hintsthat we've got from the offense and the
way they, you know, some of the sequencingof plays, y- we got some of that at
least in the preseason, even if we didn'tget to see any of the starters out there.

Adam (11:28):
Yeah.
I mean, I, I will never take much outof the pre-season in terms of scheme.
I just won't do it.
Like, I just, I feel like that'sreading in a bunch of stuff to the most
vanilla things that a coach is gonna do.
I guess if I were gonna look at thepre-season and say this is gonna be
part of Brian Fleury's staples, isjust a lot of condensed formations

(11:51):
is, is something that you notice.
you know, a little bit of,you know, Y tight end/fullback-y kind
of things, you know, H-back stuff.
and then from there, I willlet you know by about week five what
we're seeing from our new OC, who Ithink coming in should garner a lot
of confidence from the fans, right?

(12:13):
Like, just a, a guy that has been broughtup the right way through football, has
some defense in his background, tightends coach, works with Kyle Shanahan for
a, a long time, and, you know, just thatsame continuity from bringing Kubiak
from his familial history and then alsohis ties with Shanahan that I think

(12:35):
this is gonna look pretty darn similarto the things that Sam Darnold saw in
Minnesota, what he saw last year, andthen now gonna be this year as he goes
on to yet another offensive coordinator.
It'd be really cool to see himhave a same offensive coordinator
for more than, a season.
Yeah
'Brandan: cause-
That'd be pretty

Brandan (12:53):
neat… how, how many seasons does it go back that Sam's had a new
offensive coordinator every year?
Like-… his entire career.
Like you have to go back to the Jetsto where maybe he had one twice.

Adam (13:04):
Yeah, he had Adam Gase twice.

Brandan (13:07):
Which- Maybe.
Yeah… is not the onethat you want to have twice.

Adam (13:09):
No, you don't want googly-eyed Gase to be your
source of continuity, that is for sure.

Brandan (13:15):
No.
So I-- One of the things I'm curiousabout though is if opposing defenses
will then end up approaching this teamdifferently than the way we saw last
year, 'cause one of the things we saw in2025 is that they went very heavy in the
passing game through the first half ofthe season, and JSN was on that incredible

(13:39):
pace for Offensive Player of the Year.
And the, the, most of the discussionwas around, "Well, this can't be…
You, you can't maintain this.
This, this can't be the way thatthe, the team continues to win."
And eventually, opposing defenses didshift toward trying to, attack the

(14:00):
passing game, which then opened up therun game toward the end of the season and
and Kubiak had that way to balance it out.
I wonder if opposing defenses,though, will approach it differently
and really focus, recognizing that,you know, Sam still has JSN and
Cooper Kupp and Rashid Shaheed.

(14:21):
And so trying to focus more on that andmaking the run game prove itself early
on, especially when Charbonnet is gonnabe out for at least the first four weeks
of the season, and you have a rookierunning back who none of us saw apart from
practice snaps, through the lens ofhard knocks, and the, the people who went

(14:43):
to practice and, and watched from the berm

Adam (14:46):
Yeah, no kidding.
And look, that's a good point, and Ihadn't thought about it through that lens
of how defenses would attack early on.
And yeah, I think if I were an opposingDC, I would want to focus on stopping
the passing attack first because of the,the names that you talked about there.
And say, "Look, you changed your OC,you changed your running back room.

(15:11):
Like, prove it.
Prove, prove that you can havethat counterpunch to us," you
know, shutting down the pass game.
And you know, you talked about in '25the idea that they pass the ball a lot
early, and they had the mo- more successthrowing the football, but they were
still running the football at a high rate.
It just wasn't getting the type of successthat, we saw later in the year.

(15:35):
So yeah, it'll be interesting to seethat cat and mouse game early, how
Fleury is able to adjust to that.
Is he gonna be a good in-game adjuster?
Like, is he gonna be able to goquarter to quarter and really kinda
change some things based on thelooks that they're seeing, or is
that gonna be a growth process?

Brandan (15:54):
Yeah, and that's a good point.
I, I hadn't even thought about it inthat way because it still was a very
balanced attack through the run and pass.
So if it starts off to where teams arefocusing more on shutting down the pass
we're seeing light boxes, that could endup being exactly what a guy like Jadarian

(16:16):
Price needs as a rookie, of nothaving to face stacked boxes through his
first couple weeks of his rookie season.

Adam (16:23):
That's right.
And you know, my dear opposing DCs outthere, if you wanna play that game
I'm here for it because I don't knowif you knew this, but they're, they're
bringing back the same five offensivelinemen for the first time since the
Nixon administration, I'm pretty sure,before the Seahawks were even invented.
And a- and that…
Look man, do, do that at your peril thenbecause those guys work together, can

(16:47):
get to the second level, and can reallymake, hay in the run game that way.

Brandan (16:51):
Not only bringing back continuity on the offensive line, but
an offensive line that going in…
Shoot, Adam, this time last season- Yeah
we were just saying, okay,'cause what it w- it was two years
ago where it was, what, a bottomfive- Yeah… offensive line?
It wasn't good.
And- It was bad.
And all we were saying was give Sammediocre offensive- Yeah… line play.

(17:17):
And we got better than mediocre line play

Adam (17:19):
Yeah, we got pretty darn good.
Probably- Yeah
what, top 10, top 12?
Yeah

Brandan (17:25):
what, I don't think it was top five, but, d- definitely top 10 or 12.

Adam (17:30):
Right, which if you're an NFL franchise, you're salivating
for that each and every year.
That is so difficult to come by.

Brandan (17:35):
Texans might've been in the Super Bowl with us if they had that.

Adam (17:38):
That's an interesting point.
Yeah, i- 'cause it is true, and the otherfactor in all of this with the turnover
at the top of the offensive staff, youmentioned some of the guys that have
been retained, and one of those beingCoach Benton, the offensive line coach
and I don't know that there can be abigger deal made of that than it is.
Like, it really is such an importantcog to making this thing go.

(18:02):
We can get that consistency up front, thenthat gives Fleury a lot of freedom to go
out and implement things in his vision.

Brandan (18:10):
I was a little bit concerned with the offensive line depth
through the first couple games.
They finished strong And I,we do have some strong depth
on the offensive line too.
So, as much as there were concernsabout Anthony Bradford, even in the
middle of the season last year, theystarted to dissipate a little bit, but

(18:31):
he was still on, you know, Bradfordwatch I feel like- Yeah… through
the late, late part of the season, too.
yeah, I, I, I think we'restill going to have the guy
who we view as the weak link.
I, I, my, my hope is thatjust, these guys maybe
take, I don't know, take turns.

(18:53):
Like, just don't be the weak link guy.

Adam (18:55):
Yeah.
And I think Jalen Sundell proved himself atcenter really well last year, especially
in this type of scheme that really valuesthat center that can get out and run and
get to the second level and work thosecombo blocks and that sort of thing.
And that was the guy that welooked at last year going, "Yeah
we'll see, I guess," and hereally did come on and prove it.

(19:19):
And when it comes to Bradford, oneof the things that I think is super
important to talk about is thathe's improved every single year.
Like, every single year he has gottenslightly better, and he couldn't be
unseated this year from an improvedChristian Haynes that we saw in the
preseason, or the rookie Bo Stevens,who I, I saw some losses on tape

(19:43):
that scared the bejesus out of me.
I see other people out in the Seahawks, media universe, like, really hyping
up Bo's, preseason as well, but-

Brandan (19:51):
Well, Brian Baldinger was hyping it up because- Yep… he, he put
Chris Jones on the ground a couple times.

Adam (19:57):
He did, and that's, that's a big-ass deal.
You know?
Chris Jones is a, is a realdeal defensive tackle, no doubt
one of the best in the game.
So when I look at the depth of theoffensive line, I think most teams would
kill to have a quality swing tackleand one to two guards that can come
in, in, in play, not to mentiona starting caliber center in Olu.

(20:24):
Like- Yeah… that,that's as good as it gets.
You, you don't get much betterthan that top to bottom.
And they kept 10 offensive linemen thisyear, at least on the initial 53, and
I think that's cause for a ton of optimism

Brandan (20:38):
Yeah.
I, I know that there was some callsof, "Oh, if you're gonna keep all
these offensive linemen, might-maybe you can trade Olu Olutimi."

Adam (20:47):
Oh.

Brandan (20:47):
And I'm, I'm thinking, eh, we, we have it good right now.
Why, why are we trying to…
We have a ton of draft picks in 2027.
Okay, yeah, maybe we, we lost onepicking up a corner right, at
the 53-man deadline, but that's fine.
That's still, what?
11 draft picks.
Like, let's not get crazy givingaway depth on the offensive line.

(21:08):
Like, I, I like having depth there.
It's, it's the first time in a while Ifeel like we're, we're kinda good there.

Adam (21:14):
Yeah.
And it's a lot harder to go out andget a quality offensive lineman, like
not in the draft, like to find themvia trade and that sort of thing.
Yeah

Brandan (21:25):
nobody wants to give them up

Adam (21:26):
Than it is to get a third corner.
That's just the long and short of it.

Brandan (21:30):
Yeah.

Adam (21:30):
There's more corners out there than there are, quality corners out
there, than there are offensive linemen.
Now, I'm not saying you just can goout and pluck, you know, quarterbacks
off the street and, and be awesome,unless you're John Schneider.
but I, I don't see the logicin getting rid of somebody of the
quality of Olu, to go and maybesecure third to fourth corner

(21:53):
when there's a track record of thembeing able to do that without having
to give up that sort of asset.

Brandan (21:59):
So we started at the most important point
which is the offensive line.

Adam (22:02):
Always and forever.

Brandan (22:04):
Let's go to quarterback, because- Yeah… Sam Darnold, his
second year coming off of a Super Bowlchampionship season, one where he gave up
zero turnovers throughout the playoffs.
After the regular season, I d- Idon't know if I would've put money
on a zero-turnover playoff for SamDarnold, but he got it done and can you

(22:25):
imagine what it would be like if we…
now I'm not expecting him to beturnover-free through the regular
season, but if we got playoff SamDarnold through the regular season
so it wasn't like these games whereyou had four turnovers, like they did
against the Rams and still almost won.
Yeah.
But if, if you just have like ones andtwosies here and there where it's kind

(22:46):
of flukey type plays and, or, youknow, a fumble here and there where you
get blindsided and like, those thingsare things that are gonna happen.
If we get that Sam Darnold who iscareful with the football and trusts
the defense, I, I have high hopesfor what a, a, an amazing regular

(23:07):
season Sam could have, again withcontinuity on the offensive line.

Adam (23:12):
Continuity on the offensive line, continuity in the scheme despite
the OC change, no doubt about that,continuity up top with your head coach
continuity with your receiving corps,which I think that's gonna be a big
part when we get to receivers andwe're kinda talking about expectations.
that's something I'm superexcited about, and I think

(23:33):
that can really help Sam.
Look, his biggest thing that he canimprove on, as he's had this career
renaissance, would be exactly as yousaid, the turnovers, cutting down on
that, getting rid of the boneheaded ones.
You're gonna get got now and then.
Sure.
Like, it's just gonna happen.
Yeah.
that- that's fine.
And also too, if you're playingquarterback the right way and taking

(23:54):
the type of chances you should betaking, y- you're gonna have a, a
a pick or three, you know, alongthe way, i- throughout the season.
Now, with that said, in my experienceat least watching football for the last
30 years or so, usually the guys thatare a little more turnover prone in
a lot of ways, that never goes away.

(24:15):
And it's never gone away from Sam.
It's been his thing from collegeall the way up until now.
Yeah.
Leading the league in turnovers last year.
So you just have to be sure that thequality of your play can overcome
those turnovers along the way.
could he get a little better at it?
Probably, but I still would guess thathe's gonna be top five of the quarterbacks

(24:38):
in turnovers when it's all said and done.
That would be my expectation.
But as we saw, that's not a knock.
That's not me getting afterhim and saying the guy stinks.
That's me saying, "Look, that's apart of his game, and that's good
enough to win you a Super Bowl."

Brandan (24:52):
Sure.
And, and I think it's important torecognize that, 'cause I, I think the
thing that, that stood out to me too,I think it was ahead of the Super Bowl
when Jason Garrett did his interviewwith Sam Darnold and, and brought up
his old scouting report from college,and focused on the turnover part of it.
It's like, oh yeah, that really wasa big part of his game back then.

Adam (25:14):
Yeah.
I mean, I remember watching his tapewhen he came out in that draft, and
I think he was QB three, QB fourfor me in that draft, whatever it was.
Yeah.
And yeah, the

Brandan (25:27):
the turnover- Well, that was Baker's, so it was
yeah, Baker and, and

Adam (25:31):
Yeah, he

Brandan (25:32):
Josh Allen.

Adam (25:33):
Yeah.

Brandan (25:33):
And-

Adam (25:33):
Josh Allen was one, Lamar two.

Brandan (25:35):
Right.
Darnold three.
And so he was three ahead of Baker

Adam (25:40):
I had Baker last

Brandan (25:41):
I know.
That's what I mean.
So he was QB three.

Adam (25:44):
No, he was QB four.
I think I even had Rosen ahead of him.

Brandan (25:47):
Oh, gross.

Adam (25:49):
Yeah.
Well, you know, early on, tomato,tomato between, you know, Rosen
and Baker in a lot of ways, but-

Brandan (25:56):
Yeah
Yeah, anyhow, with Sam, I do thinkthat that would be the next step.
I do think the continuity is gonna makea big difference o- with him in terms
of the passing game because I don'tthink he's gonna have to be as reliant
on the play of JSN to get those numbersand keep the offense ahead of schedule
and that's the truly exciting part.

(26:18):
One of the things I'm most excited about is that enhanced chemistry
between him and Rashid Shaheed.
The, the fact that they were able tosign Shaheed in the off-season, that
there, there wasn't another team thatsaw the impact that he had on special
teams for our Seahawks down the stretchand said, "Oh, we need to pay that guy."

(26:38):
We see so many receivers making hugeamounts of money, and here you have a guy
that you have that history with of thebig plays with the New Orleans Saints.
You, you see what he did in, interms of special teams, practically
willing us back into the gamebecause the Rams decided to punt
to him, in that regular seasongame that we ended up winning.

(27:02):
And there wasn't another team thatwas willing to offer up more than
the Seahawks, and so now you get Samwith an entire off-season with Rashid
Shaheed and that big play ability.
That, that was the one thing that Ifelt was missing throughout the late
part of last season, is that they hada lot of those deep throws to him.

(27:23):
I think there was…
I, I think the stats showed thatthere was only one of over, what
like 25 yards that they actuallyconnected with throughout the…
Like one pass over 25 yards to Shaheed?
That, that has to be a place thatI, I at least have the expectation
that they would improve on in '26.

Adam (27:42):
Oh, for sure.
It, it was a good one that they connectedwith, and that was against the Rams
in the NFC championship game early.
Look, just to go back to Sam forjust a beat, like expectation-wise-
Sure… I, I expect him to bearound that 65% completion, 4,200
yards- 28 to 30 touchdowns, 12 to15 picks, somewhere right in there.

(28:02):
That'd be my expectation.
And that would be right in line what he'sdone the last couple years, and I think
that would be pretty sweet, and I thinkthe connection with Shaheed could be a big
part of him being able to continue that.
And when we played the Saintslast year, and Shaheed was
still a part of that roster-

Brandan (28:21):
Right

… Adam (28:21):
I, I remember in that preview being like, "I love this dude."
Like, they, thi- this is a guythat can really do it as a receiver
as well as a punt returner.
We hadn't seen it, to your point, onthe receiving end of things, and I think
that they're gonna find that chemistrya, a little bit better this year.
And also too, let's not forget,some of those deep throws that they
missed on were fantastic plays by thedefense- Sure… at times too.

(28:44):
So, I, I feel like with Shaheed,I think he's gonna be like a
7, 800 yard receiver this year.
Like, that's, that'swhat it feels like to me.
He's gonna be a fair amountmore involved, especially since
he gave the man his money.
Like, y- get yourmoney's worth out of him.

Brandan (29:00):
If he does that, though, then he's the legit number two in this-

Adam (29:04):
Yes

Brandan (29:04):
1,000%… in this group of wide receivers.

Adam (29:06):
Yes.

Brandan (29:08):
Yeah.
And, and maybe while you hope that TorreyHorton could end up being that player
w- we still need to see the healthout of him, and Cooper Kupp, while
yeah, none of us expect him to return tobeing a Triple Crown receiver, he can
he can still be a part of this offense.
I- if he just m- maintains what he didlast year to stay healthy throughout

(29:30):
the entire season, I would take, I, Iwould sign up for that right now, just
another Cooper Kupp season like last year.

Adam (29:36):
Y- yeah.
that was such an oddsdefying season for him.
Like, when you had looked at the historyfrom his last couple years, it just
his ability to stay on the field.
And, you know, maybe it's justgetting away from, you know
Southern California area.
Like, maybe that substation in SanFrancisco radiates down a little

(29:56):
further than we, than we knew.
I don't know, but, that was, thatwas one of the biggest surprises to
me by far last year, was the fact thatwe got a healthy year out of Kupp.
Like, that's- Yeah, I, I, Ihave a hard time betting on
that again this year, right?
Like, just older guy.
I know we've been hearing all on KMthat, like, he's faster than ever

(30:19):
this, that, and the other thing,and, impossible, but that's fine.
I, I really hope, I think for the sakeof this offense, that if Shaheed becomes
legit two and Horton becomes legit three,that's better for this offense as a whole.
Sure.
And, and K- Yeah… Kupp kind of takesa little bit more of a backseat maybe on

(30:40):
the field, and maybe takes more of a stepforward in his mentorship coaching role.

Brandan (30:45):
Well, if, because he's under contract for two more, this season
and next season, if they get to thethird season of that contract and
he's still producing at the level heis now, I, I see value in keeping him
for a, a third season after this one.
Like, I, I didn't have the expectation.

(31:06):
I, I was kinda like you.
I, I was concerned injury-wise, and, that the, the production that we
that we wouldn't see the type ofproduction that we got from him last year.
And, based on the contract,it ended up working out very well.
So I- sign me up for, yeah, a full, three seasons of Kupp

(31:26):
based on what we saw last year.
If that can continue, you have the keythird downs that he can help you get
some nice yards after the catch still.
tho- those- Mm.
He, that we saw that.

Adam (31:38):
Did

Brandan (31:40):
we?
Well, you know, there wasjust that one- Did we?
… fumble where it, it was a

Adam (31:44):
disaster.

Brandan (31:45):
He

Adam (31:45):
was, he was catch ball, get tackled.
Like, now-

Brandan (31:48):
No, he, he moved up field generally

Adam (31:50):
okay, maybe by like two or three yards.
Like, dude can't run like he used to run.
Like, he uses leverage, he uses hissmarts- Bless his heart… he does
all that, but he, he's definitelynot gonna be a yak monster that

Brandan (32:00):
usually- He's

Adam (32:00):
not catch ball

Brandan (32:01):
and fall down

Adam (32:03):
No, no.
I mean, he's not afraid to take a hit.
Like- Yeah
you give him credit for that, no doubt.
Look, if this was the last year of Kuppreceiving, for us, if we could roll
him into the coaching staff the next yearand give him a nice healthy paycheck as
a coach that doesn't count against thecap, that sounds really great to me.

Brandan (32:22):
A- anything that he takes as a coach is going to be
way less than what he would makein his third- Doesn't have to be
his third year.
Eh, I, I suppose it doesn't.
Well, this doesn't really make any money.
There, there is no salary cap oncoaches, but- That's right… I
feel like some of the other coachesare gonna be like, "Wait a second.
I've been coaching for years.
So what, why can't I makeplayer level coaching money?"
'Adam: Cause he haven't won two championships, and apparently

(32:43):
had the, the type of effect thathe had off the field last year.
Yeah.
Which is undeniable.
Yeah.
As much as I wanted to deny it becauselook, I'm not gonna lie, my sports
hate for the guy is still high.
Like-
Still?
It's still high?

Adam (32:54):
Yes.
What- Eastern Washington-What is it gonna take for you?
… Rams.
to, to just not beon my franchise anymore.
Like, I just…
It, it, it's just gonnabe that way for me.
I'm sorry.
Like, it- Does

Brandan (33:04):
he need to write you a letter and be like, "You know, Adam, I've been a
real fan of you for the last couple years.
I know that you haven't been a fanof me- I like the dude… but
I, I think we can get past this andget over our differences of me being
an Eastern Washington guy and the mebeing a Ram because, you know, I like
your hat, I like your, your sweatshirt.
Yeah, yeah.
you have- Swag flag… youhave a handsome beard and face.

(33:25):
Eh, that's a lie, but okay.
And

… Adam (33:27):
Yeah.

Brandan (33:27):
I'm saying he's, he's really trying to win you over.

Adam (33:30):
Yeah, yeah.
Well, once you start lying aboutmy handsome face, then I, I, now
now you're not trustworthy anymore.
I don't know, maybe we just needto have a beer around the campfire.
It's not the guy.
It's not the dude.
Like, Cooper Kupp the dudeis an excellent human.
Like, that's, that's not it.
It's just-

Brandan (33:44):
How many years-… the tortured-… of being an excellent human
do you need for him to win you over?

Adam (33:47):
to just take all those years that he beat our brains in with
the freaking Rams and then g- torturedmy Montana Grizzlies as a Eagle.
Like, yeah, those don't go away.
It's still there.
but I am happy for him,I'm happy with the franchise.
I, I love what he brought to thetable, for the one year that he
has been on a team that I can root for.

(34:08):
Like- Yeah… so it does- itdoesn't completely outweigh
it, to this point to me.
I know that, for everybodyelse, they don't have the same
tortured relationship with,Kupp, but that's just how it is.
And also too, look, and when I'm sayingy- if Kupp becomes the bonafide, like
four and Horton becomes the bonafidethree, and Shaheed number two-

Brandan (34:28):
Sure

… Adam (34:29):
that, that's such a benefit for this organization
because you are now getting younger.
Like, it's not- It's not justbased on my irrational sports hate.
It w- partly rationalsports hate for, Kupp.
So I, I think there's some real benefitsif they are able to take those steps
and part of them taking those steps isbecause of Kupp himself and what he brings

(34:51):
to the table in terms of his mentorship.

Brandan (34:53):
Yeah.
No, that's, that's- So

Adam (34:54):
they're giving him some credit at the end.
How about that?

Brandan (34:56):
There you go.
Good job.
All right.
So, you got some credit tohim in the wide receiver room.
Tight end room, though, is one ofthe areas where I, I think that i-
is a place where this team reallycan grow and, and maybe there's that
expectation too with Brian Fleury beinga former tight end coach and wanting to

(35:18):
hopefully bring some of that element,more of that element to the offense.
Because I think one of the thingsthat all Seahawks fans recognize is
that AJ Barner could be one of thelegit top five tight ends in the NFL

Adam (35:34):
1000% yes.
I mean, he, the way his game is kindof shaped and the way he moves on the
field and body type and all of that, hecould absolutely be Travis Kelce 2.0.
Like, that is, that is1000% in range for him.
He's got the mentality for it.
he has the ability to stayhealthy enough, or at least has
to this point in his career to reallybe able to build on those things.

(35:56):
He's got swag for days.

Brandan (35:58):
Yeah.
On

Adam (35:58):
top

Brandan (35:59):
of all of that- Which pop star are we gonna set him up with?

Adam (36:01):
Ooh, that's a good question.
well, since I have sucha deep bag of, pop star
knowledge- You, that might just

Brandan (36:08):
be a question for the listeners

… Adam (36:09):
especially for a current one.
That's a question for you, dearFlocker out there listening.
but I, I really do feel likehe is on that ascension to be legit
tight end one that everybody looksat and goes, "That's a weapon."
And when you pair that with the otherexciting options here, and I'm really
excited to talk about this, 'cause I thinkthis is the part that really can take this

(36:35):
offense to a new and different excitinglevel- Ooh… is this tight end room.

Brandan (36:38):
Ooh, tell me more, because I, I think that with Elijah Arroyo returning
into his second season, like, there,there's some hope that, that he
will grow in, in year number two.
There's, I, I think we, we've seen whatwe're gonna see out of, some of
the, well, with the, what's our veterantight end that's, escaping us?

(37:00):
Kallerup?
Yeah, Kallerup.
And

Adam (37:02):
Kallerup?

Brandan (37:03):
well, Kallerup, he's a young guy, too.
I, I think we could see some growthout of Kallerup because I, I have to
believe that there's a reason why wekept him on the roster so long last
year and didn't see, I mean, a ton of…
There, there were so many games wherehe wasn't even active, but he was-
Yeah… part of the 53 and then wouldbe, you know, on the inactive list.

(37:26):
And n- when you see that weekafter week, you're like, why?
We have to be keeping this guy aroundfor, for a reason, and maybe that reason
will become obvious i- this season

Adam (37:39):
well, Kallerup is probably the least, him
and Saubert, like, the, fine.
Like, you need those type of

Brandan (37:46):
dudes- Well, Saubert I saw contribute.
Like, at least even in the blocking game,which is a cool part of the game- Yeah
… to be involved in if you're a tight end.

Adam (37:52):
Right.
So I think really kinda those twodudes' value really kinda is derived
from the idea of, like, maybeSaubert being the, third tight
end on the field when they get to13 personnel and that sort of thing.
But with Kallerup's value, it's all right,fine, he's not active for all the games
but you need two healthy tight ends to runthis scheme- Mm… the way that they're

(38:13):
gonna wanna run it, and he can come inand do professional tight end things.
Is he a world beater?
Absolutely not, but he can come inand do professional tight end things.
Like, you can't have four superstartight ends on your roster.
Like, you're just notgonna be able to afford it.
So-

Brandan (38:26):
Maybe, maybe I want that.

Adam (38:27):
Well, well so do I.
Like, that sounds amazing.
but at the end of the day, you'regonna be looking at Barner and Arroyo.
Like, those are-Yeah… those are your two.
And why this is maybe the most excitingthing for me in terms of what this
offense can look like and how it canevolve and change, one is you mentioned
Fleury's background with the tight ends.
I think that can be huge tounlocking Barner's full potential

(38:50):
as he continues to ascend.
But Arroyo coming into year two,like, this is such a massive deal.
It- the way he moves at his size,and his hands, and what he can do.
And then also, too- The, the blockinghasn't been like Jimmie Graham abysmal.
Like- Right
it's pretty decent.
Like-

Brandan (39:10):
Yeah

… Adam (39:10):
yeah.
He, he can go out there andhe can get a block done.

Brandan (39:13):
It's 'cause we, we, we waited until Jimmie Graham was
almost toward retirement beforewe started asking him to block.
Yeah.
Like it- Yeah… had he been on theteam, I don't know, like, had, had he
worked with Tom Cable for the, I don'tknow, the first eight years of his
career, may- maybe he wouldn't havebeen a disaster, when he was- Yeah
with Seattle.

Adam (39:28):
Yeah, Sean Payton had no interest in teaching him
how to block, and that's fine.
I mean, it worked out good forJimmie Graham's deal as a whole
when you look at his career.
But-

Brandan (39:35):
Right

… Adam (39:35):
the, that one-two punch of Barner and Arroyo, like that could be
very much like the Gronk-Hernandez eraPatriots with a little less murder.
Like-

Brandan (39:49):
A lot less… you know, that…
Like

Adam (39:50):
yeah.

Brandan (39:51):
100% less.

Adam (39:52):
Yeah, all the, the, no more, no murders.
The zero murders, less murdery.
That, th- th- that'll be good.
But they can- And

Brandan (39:58):
and let's be clear, too.
Gronk was on the zeroside of that equation as well.

Adam (40:02):
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
As far as we know.
I, I don't know.
Maybe he ran the shovel or thegetaway car for all we know.
But at the, at the end of the day-

Brandan (40:08):
no, I, I feel pretty confident that we know that.

Adam (40:10):
Do we?
Okay.
All right.
yeah.

Brandan (40:12):
I think, I think it was 100% Aaron Hernandez.

Adam (40:14):
Yeah, e- exactly.
And, but that two tight end combinationthat the Patriots were unleashing on
the league there for a minute, likewhen you talk about murder, like they
were murdering defenses doing that.
And the types of match-ups and headachesthat that creates for DCs because
everything is so disguised becausethe power run stuff look just like

(40:37):
the spread you out and gash you inthe pass game with guys that can run
can catch, and can really block aswell, I think this is the thing that
I get kind of over the moon about.
I, I forgot to look up Barner's statsbefore this, but I'm, I'm gonna guess
that, Arroyo's gonna be 500 yards.

(41:01):
Ooh.
Seven touchdowns.
Ooh.
And Barner's gonna increaseon his totals for next year.

Brandan (41:07):
Yeah, if you do see that, that would be…
I mean, if those two combinefor 1,200-plus and double-digit
touchdowns, then, then we will have…
We'll, we'll get to the end of the regularseason and go, "Yeah, that's the, that's
the Bl- the Brian Fleury impact that weexpected and m- and maybe even hoped at
the start of the season," because thosemismatches that you're talking about

(41:30):
we, we even saw some of that in…
And, and that's why I point a littlebit to the preseason and the sequencing
and, and say that when you, when youstarted to see those linebackers
start to concern themselves with therun more than covering a guy like Arroyo
who has the speed to outrun them anyway,then, they, they're stuck thinking

(41:53):
"Oh, they're running the ball.
Oh, no they're not.
Now I have completely lost thetight end that I'm supposed to
cover, and now he's, in the endzone, y- spiking the football."

Adam (42:03):
Yeah, and you can really challenge the safety too if you
get to that third level, it, withthe linebacker sucked up as well.
So Barner last year, 52 receptions,519 yards, six touchdowns.
I think he Probably ismore like 65- You can dial that
up… receptions, 700 yards, somewherein there Yeah Maybe 10 touchdowns.

(42:24):
And that with Shaheed's incorporationinto the offense more, and Horton
going out there and just catchingtouchdowns like he did right out of
the gate, as a rookie, I thinkthat's really gonna make this offense
almost unstoppable because we ne- wehaven't even talked about the reigning
offensive player of the year in JSN-
and our expectationsfor, for him this year.

(42:46):
But that leaves JSN the abilityto just go out and do the
back-breaking play stuff, right?

Brandan (42:54):
Right

Adam (42:55):
And not have to be the, the one dude that's the sole focus
of the offense for half a season.

Brandan (43:02):
I, I still don't know where I come out on those types of things
because I felt like the, the chemistrythat was there last season between JSN and
Sam Darnold, that any deep throw where,that Sam was putting up for Jax, he, he

(43:23):
was gonna come down with the football.
And I didn't have that sametype of confidence with Shaheed.
So, you know, I, I hope that chemistrycan improve, but I kind of also hope that
you, you just kinda stick with what works.
And, and Jax just seems to have thatpersonality of, even if you're
throwing it up and there, there's twoguys there, like he's gonna find a

(43:44):
way to come down with the football.

Adam (43:46):
Yeah, I mean, that's what makes him great and he is legitimately
great with a capital G, capital rate.
Like, he's, he's as good as it gets.
You know, 119 catches lastyear, almost 1,800 yards.
that's a monster season.
But I will say this, that is not asustainable way to play football year
in and year out, and have the type ofsuccess that they're gonna want to get to.

(44:10):
I feel like it's paramount for thisoffense to be a little less JSN reliant
but you still have him there for thosegotta have it moments when gonna go up
and get it, and get pounded by Kam Curl,you know, still make the receptions
get up and laugh in his [bleep] face.
Like, that's, that's what,that's what we need JSN for.

(44:34):
And I'd like to take some of theload off of him, one, just for
health-wise and longevity-wise.
Sure I think thatwould be a big difference.
And also for offensivediversification in…
So the idea that he gets to the samelevels number-wise as last year, that
seems difficult for me to envision.
I can definitely see him havinglower numbers, but being just

(44:55):
as impactful or maybe even more.

Brandan (44:57):
Mm.
Catch-wise and target-wise, maybe justspread out more, but about the same.
And then yardage-wise,maybe a little bit less.
But I, I'd have to think that- There's,he's still gonna be heavily involved
target-wise, 'cause it wasn't even this-Yeah… e- even though he got to that
1,800 yard level, he got it to it on, youknow, 20 to 30% fewer targets than I think

(45:21):
you see guys like i- in other offenses,like Ja'Marr Chase or CeeDee Lamb.
I, I felt- Yeah… like his targetshare was lower than, than those
players, but then he ended upgetting more yards out of the deal.

Adam (45:32):
Yeah.
It…
Look, did, the Cowboyswin the Super Bowl last year?

Brandan (45:36):
No.

Adam (45:36):
Did the Bengals even make the playoffs last year?

Brandan (45:39):
No.

Adam (45:39):
Oh, so are you telling me that when you target a
receiver that sort of often, it'sdifficult to make the Super Bowl?
Like, is that what you're telling me?
Because that's what I'm hearing.
Yeah.
Like, okay, fine, you can target thoseguys as much as you want, and you can
you know, spam it, so to speak.
But it's not gonna getyou to where you wanna go.
163 targets for JSN last year.

(46:01):
I expect him to end up in, like, 120.
But most- Ooh

Brandan (46:06):
okay

Adam (46:06):
most, most targets of all of the receiving options by far, he's
still gonna be the most targeted, but-

Brandan (46:12):
Man, that's like T.
Higgins level targets.

Adam (46:15):
Who?
but with that said, I, Ithink that that could be a more
impactful, well-rounded offensethat really does allow you to
get to that second ring in a row.

Brandan (46:28):
All right.
Well, we did talk a little bit of runningbacks, but I, I think maybe we should go
back because I, I think the expectationis that Zach Charbonnet returns.
do you, do you…
Once he does return, how do you see…
It's so hard to say with notseeing any of Jadarian Price

(46:51):
throughout- Mm-hmm… the preseason.
Yeah.
we, we have college tapeto go off of and a little bit-
Yeah… of practice tape.
So- Where, where does that put you atthen expectation-wise with how, how
they might divvy up that workload?
Because I do feel like the way thisteam went last year, they, they, they

(47:11):
had a, a really nice balance,set up between K9 and between Sharps.
It, it, it felt like maybe they,they did try and lean on the, the
hot hand a little bit from game togame, or am I remembering that right
or did we just want that to happenfrom game to game and, and we harped

(47:32):
on it more in that regard last year?

Adam (47:34):
there, there was definitely, like, Sharps games
and then, like, K9 games, right?
Yeah.
And I don't know that it was thatthey were leaning on one more than
the other, it's just one had moresuccess that game, a little bit.
Yeah.
They really did split that workload prettyevenly, and it almost worked perfection.
I mean, they got two back…
What, what week did Sharps go down?

(47:56):
Was it, like- It

Brandan (47:56):
was, like, 15.
It was-

Adam (47:58):
Yeah, super late, right?

Brandan (47:59):
Yeah.

Adam (48:00):
So they dang near got all the way to a Super Bowl with
two healthy running backs, two, youknow, one and one A running backs.
And in this day and age it feels like-That's almost what you have to do.
The bell cow back is like,you know, a Tyrannosaurus rex.
Like, it's a thing of the past.
And so I feel like we saw a reporttoday come out that said, you know

(48:22):
Jadarian is supposed to be,you know, kind of RB1 is the idea
with a heavy dose of George Holani.
And I feel like that's gonna kindacontinue throughout the season as long
as Price looks the way that I feellike he will look, because of all the
tape that's out there, I feel likerunning back tape transfers to the

(48:44):
NFL, a little easier, like, whenyou're, when you're looking at it.
For example, watching Emmitt Johnsonwith the Chiefs, just the other day.

Brandan (48:52):
Yeah.

Adam (48:53):
That looked a lot like the Emmitt Johnson at Nebraska.

Brandan (48:55):
Yeah.

Adam (48:56):
You know?
it, it, it, it truly did.
Jeremiah Love before he getshurt, looked a lot like the
Jeremiah Love at Notre Dame.
Uh-huh.
I feel the same thing is gonna happenwith Price here, and his skillset
just fits so well with the way they'regonna, run the football with the
zone scheme stuff, and I'm here for it.
I think he's gonna have a monster year.

(49:16):
I think Jadarian Price finishes, somewhere between 900
and 1,100 yards rushing.

Brandan (49:22):
So we had Zach Charbonnet for the entire regular season.
They, they didn't lose him until the41 to six loss to the Niners in the

Adam (49:32):
playoffs.
Kinda was a game, wasn't it?
Good Lord.

Brandan (49:33):
Yeah.
Isn't that wild?
Yeah, it w- in fact, it was his twolast games of the season that were
Charbonnet's two best games, wherehe carried majority of the workload.
He, 18 carries, 110 yards, twotouchdowns against the Carolina
Panthers on the road, and then finishedon the road against the Niners, 17
carries, 74 yards, and a touchdown.

(49:55):
You know, plus you add on top ofthat, he had, two to three
catches in each of those games, soit was Charbonnet down the stretch.
And, and the one thing that I wouldlove to see continue that I didn't
think he was going to be capableof until I saw it last year with my
own eyes, he became a red zone guy.
He, he was the guy who was punching it.

(50:16):
Yeah.
He had double digit touchdowns.

Adam (50:18):
Yeah, yeah.
he does have a nose for the end zone.
the, still the notion thatCharbonnet is a power back, like, still
drives me nuts-… 'cause it's just-

Brandan (50:28):
No, but they, that's-

… Adam (50:29):
decidedly not true.

Brandan (50:30):
But he got there.
but

Adam (50:32):
yeah, I mean, i- if you're able to make it happen, that's great.
Like, LT, like, led, scoredthe most touchdowns of the
season, like, at one point, right?
And was he a power back?
No.
John

Brandan (50:41):
Alexander, not a power back, but he- No… found the end zone.

Adam (50:44):
Right.
So y- yeah, I mean, both those things canbe true at- Yeah… at the same time.
I do think when Charbonnet comesback, you're gonna see that real balanced
workload that we saw once Charbonnet isback, like, three, four games, you know?

Brandan (50:58):
Yeah Ease him in.

Adam (51:01):
Yeah.

Brandan (51:01):
Got it.
'Cause it's, it's imp- going tobe impressive even coming back if he
being on PUP for the first four weeks.

Adam (51:10):
Mm-hmm.

Brandan (51:10):
Like, if he, he's back week five, that's an impressive
turnaround for being- Oh

Adam (51:14):
yeah

… Brandan (51:15):
out in the playoffs.

Adam (51:16):
Yeah.
No, that- After

Brandan (51:16):
that nine-month ACL recovery.

Adam (51:19):
That's wild.
That's absolutely wild.
I mean, we're getting into AdrianPeterson territory at that point.
Like, that's crazy.

Brandan (51:25):
Yeah.
All right, so we want more of thesame from Sharps and, yeah.
There's some ex- excitementI think around Price.

Adam (51:36):
I, I think there ought to be, man.
I…
His tape is pretty cool, from,from college, and like I said
earlier, the style just, it justscreams, like, zone running scheme.
It's gonna be cool.

Brandan (51:48):
You know what else is cool?
Our Seahawks defense.

Adam (51:51):
Yeah, they're cool.

Brandan (51:52):
It was, it's pretty good last year.

Adam (51:55):
Yeah, I mean, they were pretty decent, I guess.
You know?

Brandan (51:58):
Yeah.
The top team in termsof, points allowed.

Adam (52:03):
Top team and kicking ass.
Top team in everything else.
Yeah, yeah, they were…
They, they just kindakicked ass the entire way.
Dark side defense wasoutstanding, and we all had that
expectation going into last year.
And I, I don't know, Brandan.
It, it feels like the defense is gonna bea shorter conversation than the offense.

Brandan (52:23):
Well, what do you, what do you improve?
Like, what do you ask- Yeah
Coach Mike to do to improve in year three?
Just go back and do the things thatyou did last year and keep chasing
those edges on defense, I suppose.

Adam (52:35):
Yeah, and we all know that coach is gonna have a plan for…
I guarantee you, he has a whole list ofthings, somewhere where he's like, "We
need to be better at all these things."
And that's super scary forthe rest of the league.
There's nobody elsethat does it like Mike.
I know, like, the Jesse Minter's ofthe world and guys like that kinda
start to get talked about in thatvein, but there is one Mike Macdonald

(52:56):
there is one defensive guru inthis entire league, and it's him.
And I see no reason for thisdefense to take any sort of step
back despite losing two startersand then your fourth edge rusher.

Brandan (53:11):
Well, how about this?
What if this is the year that Mikedecides to start growing his coaching
tree, and turns over more of thatplay calling duty to Aden Durde
to where he s- well, "I've, I'venow coached my team to a Super Bowl.
Now I need to take on more of thementoring role and, and pass on

(53:33):
some of these, these play callingduties to my dude who is the
defensive coordinator for this team."

Adam (53:39):
Does Sean McVay have to do that for his offensive coordinators to
get hired in an instant as head coaches?

Brandan (53:44):
No, it turns out that that doesn't, that doesn't- Oh……
They, they just haveto be in his vicinity.

Adam (53:48):
That's right.
They just have to, like, rubup on his hair gel and have it
stick to their arm, you know?
Like, that's, that's all you need to do.
Look, I, I, I have a hard time seeinga world in which Coach Mike
gives up defensive play calling.
It, it just doesn't feellike that's in his DNA.

Brandan (54:05):
No, I…
And it's not because it's really asense- Yeah, it's not a-… that
I get from Coach Mike of needing tohave that control necessarily, but
it is also, like, if you're,the ownership or John Schneider as
GM, like, this is why we hired you.
This like this is- 1,000%.

(54:26):
We, we did not bring you in just tobecome, like, a well-rounded hel-
head coach, a well-rounded head coach.
No, we brought you in to destroy otherteams through your defensive prowess.

Adam (54:38):
1,000%.
Like, we didn't hire a Nick Siriannitype, you know, come in and, like
rah, rah things and like- Yeah
take credit for all thetalented guys underneath of
him doing everything for him.
No, we brought you in exactly asyou said, Brandan, to, come in
and kick ass as, the number onedefensive mind in the entire league.
And, that will continue thisyear in another year of continuity

(55:02):
for all of these guys, and that'sgonna, I think, really just make a big
difference for this defense in termsof being stifling from the word jump.
Not to mention Nick Emmanwori,year two in the scheme.
Like-

Brandan (55:17):
Uh-huh

… Adam (55:18):
Spoon's still on the rise.
y- I don't see Leodropping off anytime soon.
And then, then we havethe current Aaron Donald.
Byron

Brandan (55:26):
Murphy.
Yeah.
Like, it doesn't seemlike he should drop off.
Only, only growth out of him.

Adam (55:32):
Yeah.
Like I said, the current Aaron Donald.
Like, that's, that'swhere he's going, right?
Like, that's, that's the trajectory

Brandan (55:39):
he's on.
I'm excited for him to be the next guyto get paid on this defense, 'cause-

Adam (55:43):
Oh

Brandan (55:43):
abso- He, he will be the guy.

Adam (55:45):
He, he will be the guy.
And then you got still the wilyveteran in Jarran Reed right there
and then you've got, you know,Riley Mills out there just, you know
stealing people's souls on top of that.
This, this group is so effing loaded.
It's so loaded.
Front to back, Julian Love, the brainsof the operation in the back, Ernest

(56:05):
Jones, the heart of the middle of thatdefense and the play calling, and then
you know, the sought-off linebackerDrake Thomas going out there pulling
the pin and just blowing [bleep] up.
Like, dude, this is…
I, I, I feel like as good as the darkside defense was last year, like, that
was still, like, Star Wars Episode III.
We're going to Star WarsEpisode IV dark side defense.

(56:27):
Where, you know, Empire Strikes Back,where the Empire was at its peak.
I think that's, that'swhat's happening this year.

Brandan (56:33):
I, I'm even excited about guys who are further down the depth chart
because what we saw from Tyrice Knightin the first game of the preseason
too- Yeah… that dude was all over theplace, and he, he made a legit case for
saying, "Hey, yeah, I know I lost thestarting job to Drake last year, but I'm
still here, and I'm not slowing down."

Adam (56:55):
Tyree's said it's a heck of a ballplayer.
That's a starting linebacker on29 teams-… around the league.

Brandan (57:02):
Yeah.

Adam (57:03):
Yeah.
I mean, he's, he's damngood, and that's your backup?
Then you got the Kalispell kid,you know, former Flathead Brave
there, like, to come in as well.
Like, heck yeah.
This is a great group.
I, I love the linebacking corps.
I love the coaching staffon that side of the ball.
I'm gonna enjoy the hell out of AdamDurde this year, 'cause it's

(57:23):
the last year we all get to enjoyhim as a part of our organization.
In my mind, he's gonna be a headcoach for sure of the, London Jaguars.

Brandan (57:35):
Don't, don't try and, and write him off to a new team just yet.
I, I wanna keep, I'm not

Adam (57:39):
writing him off.
I want him to keep, like I said,man, keep getting them checks.
Like, you know, take that headcoaching role if that's your dream.

Brandan (57:45):
That, that's been…
You know, touching back to the Hard Knocksthing again and seeing some of that
it, it does feel like his camera time…
We, we talked about how cameratime we didn't think would
impact rosters that much.
Right.
I think it, it will impact coaching.

Adam (58:05):
I actually agree with you on this.
I hadn't thought about it until thisvery moment, but- GMs scouting players
and trying to figure out who theywant to bring in for their roster
they're gonna go and look at the tape,and it's there for everybody to see.
It's all 22, easy enough to find.
To go and, and get an inside lookon how a, a coach operates in…

(58:29):
Th- that's just not something that you'regonna find, you know, a lot of film
access of, and here it is on Hard Knocks.
And so, just seeing how much,you know, Mike does, like, lean
on him for certain things now andthen, I think that bodes well.
And then also too, like, here we are.
Like, you rub up against CoachMike now, and you're a head coach.

(58:49):
Like, that, that's where this is going.

Brandan (58:51):
But maybe what we really need to hope for is back-to-back chips, because
it does make it a little more difficult.
Teams don't like to wait for the SuperBowl to make coaching hiring decisions.
It was a little bit abnormal for theRaiders to wait for Coach Kubiak, and I
I think that we even heard that maybe thathad something to do with Tom Brady being

(59:15):
part of the ownership and having some ofthe inside information of being in those
meetings with, with Kubiak and, andthat sort of thing that m- that maybe
made them want to wait a little more.
Yeah.

Adam (59:26):
Maybe that's w- exactly where that comes from.
I, I don't know.
But, yeah, I feel like if you'regonna capitalize i- and try to get
multiple chips out of this era ofSeahawks football, this is gonna
be your best year to do it, likely.
Maybe, I don't know, maybe year threeor year four would be when you've
got a ga- drillion draft picks anda genie of a GM in John Schneider.

(59:50):
Maybe, maybe it gets even better.
Like, it…
I'm not gonna put a lid on it.

Brandan (59:54):
The one thing I- If I were to wanna project something out for
the defense though, I think tryingto maintain that continuity on the
offensive line, paying some of yourguards, and I'm not saying necessarily
pay Anthony Bradford, but, you know,if Gray's able, continues on that
trajectory to where you, you pay him.

(01:00:16):
Maybe you wanna keep continuityeven with having a, a Sundale at
center if he continues to grow.
Like, center contracts aregetting kind of expensive now.
It- he might not be as high because he'san undrafted guy and, you know, even with
Jobe, we saw- Yeah… when he got paidthis off season, like we kinda got a deal
with Josh Jobe because he was an undraftedguy, and, even though he, he played at

(01:00:40):
the level of, a high tier corner, theygot a little bit of a bargain there too.
I, I would like to see though,with Coach Mike being primarily, or
being the defensive guru guy, if wecan continue to stay young at some
key spots on defense going forward.

Adam (01:01:01):
Yeah, I mean, if you're kicking this a few years down the
line, that, that, that is gonnabe the, formula to do it.
You're gonna have to go out and,and maintain your youth on defense
and development with your head coachspecializing on that side of the ball.
no doubt about that.
But for this year- And

Brandan (01:01:18):
I say that because that's not something we got from Coach Pete.

Adam (01:01:22):
No.

Brandan (01:01:22):
We never saw him turn over a defense and, to a youthful
group that then had that same LOB.
Not that you, not that I hadexpectations of LOB success-

Adam (01:01:33):
Right

… Brandan (01:01:34):
but, that you could find guys that were, that
could carry the mantle a little bit.

Adam (01:01:41):
Yeah.
No, they were pretty good for, youknow, a good decade there though.
Yeah.
Like, yeah.
But you were relying on older starsfor, you know, quite a while there.
but for this year specifically,you know, even though the defense
is getting a little older, you know,between Leo and DeMarcus and Nwosu

Brandan (01:01:58):
We're the bottom third, we're in the bottom third of, roster age.
When I saw those stats come out today withthe 53-man rosters announced on Sunday, I
was surprised that of the teams in the NFCWest, the Arizona Cardinals the youngest.
They were in the mid-tier, and all theother, you know, Rams, us, Niners, as

(01:02:18):
to be expected, especially with theRams, with having an old quarterback in
Stafford on the roster and bringing backAaron Donald and, Miles Garrett.
Like, a- and the 49ers just being old.
it, it was, I- and I think eventhe Seahawks were between, like a little
lower than the Rams, but above the Niners.

Adam (01:02:38):
Interesting.
Okay.
wouldn't they be, like- Or maybeflip-flop… if you're at the bottom
of the list, like when, if you're inthe bottom third- They're the bottom

Brandan (01:02:45):
third.
Oldest third

Adam (01:02:48):
Okay, I guess I didn't understand what you
were saying with the list.
So if you're at the bottom, you're older,but if you're at the top, you're younger?

Brandan (01:02:54):
Yeah.

Adam (01:02:55):
Oh, okay.
I thought it, you-… meant the opposite.
that was confusing.

Brandan (01:02:59):
I'm sorry.
I, the, the, the, maybe becausethey listed it that way because it's
more optimal, op- more optimal to beyounger, so they started with the- Mm-hmm
the lower numbers and then went older.

Adam (01:03:13):
Yeah, I, I think you have a handful of guys that does skew that
for this particular roster, but- That's

Brandan (01:03:17):
what I mean, and that- Yeah… that's what reminded me of it
because you mentioned- Yeah… guys
like, yeah, Tank Lawrence and-

Adam (01:03:24):
Yeah, but I, I don't feel like there's a falloff, that
feels evident for any of those guys.
I mean, some of the best years they got.
We also have seen that Mike hasgotten the best out of some of these
older defensive linemen, even at histime back with Baltimore as well.
Sure.
So feel great about there.
linebacker group, we justtalked about, feel great about.
I went and looked at alittle Avery Smith stuff, Oh

Brandan (01:03:47):
good

Adam (01:03:48):
yeah, yesterday.
And inside guy, you know, playeda lot of nickel in the box.
Do [bleep] tackles, man.
He thumps for being a, a little guy.
Like, it, same sort of likespoon-type intensity to his game.
I'm not saying he's Devon Witherspoon,but, I, I feel like we could
see him inside, Spoon and Jobeon the outside for this year.

(01:04:11):
That'd be kind of myexpectation for that there.
And, I think that'd be great.
I'd say the other big expectation Ihave for the defense this year, I think
Murphy's in 12 to 15 sack land this year.

Brandan (01:04:26):
Ooh.
Ooh, that would be…
Yeah.
okay, you got me excited there.

Adam (01:04:31):
Yeah.
Yeah.
'Cause that just means theopposing offenses are boned.
Like, if he's getting that sortof pressure on the regular
like, good night Irene.
Like, it, it's over.

Brandan (01:04:42):
I do wonder how much rotation, though, we'll see with…
You know, if, especially if theysee a role for Pritchett to where
he can play outside and move Spoona little bit inside here and there.
So, 'cause you don'tsee- That's a good one
Witherspoon playing solelyoutside, e- even last year.
So- Mm-hmm… I think Jobe willbe, but I, I could see them, yeah

(01:05:08):
playing Pritchett a little bit outside.
You got N- Nick Emmanworithat can come inside too.
Yeah.
So, how they rotate through thatgroup of guys in the secondary, eh
that's not, I don't have any expectationsthere, it's just I, I expect to be
entertained a- as I watch Coach Mikemove pieces around the chessboard.

Adam (01:05:29):
I expect it to be the right decision whatever it is he does
and for it to kick ass, and for thisdefense to dominate from the word jump.
And I, I, I can't wait.
I can't wait.

Brandan (01:05:41):
I, I'm excited about little Tai Okhota too, 'cause, Yeah… another
Montana guy who went to Montana State.
Wrong school

Adam (01:05:48):
but, you know, me

Brandan (01:05:48):
too.
He went to the wrong school, but-

Adam (01:05:50):
That's okay

… Brandan (01:05:50):
man, oh, man, when you listen to Ty Okada interviews
does he not sound like he's alreadya coach out there on the field?
The dude is polished, and may-maybe that's his Montana background.
He, i- i- we gotta- Yeah… watchout, because he could be
coming for our jobs next.

Adam (01:06:06):
I, I mean, he can try.
I mean, look, I, I keep, I'll bring my name in the

Brandan (01:06:10):
raffle I, I meant specifically your job.
He could be coming for your job next.

Adam (01:06:13):
Yeah, I mean, I'll, I'll have my rabbit ears on
come June or July apparently.
But, yeah, at the end of the day,smart dude, and it's because he's
you know, from these parts, whichwe reside, where we're all brilliant.
So-… that makes sense

Brandan (01:06:29):
I, I'm just, with the way that Coach Mike always seems to find, again
going back to Baltimore, with--he made Geno Stone into a dude who got
paid- Yeah… by, the Bengals.
Yeah.
And i- he made Coby Bryant adude that got paid by the Bears
and I, I think rightfully so.
Mm.
But, he does seem to findguys who just can instinctively

(01:06:53):
play safety and do it well.
And so if, if Okoda can come inand, and fill that role relatively
seamlessly, which we kind of sawhim do, when there were injuries
at the safety spot last year.

Adam (01:07:07):
Yeah.
Absolutely, and it's gonna be, it's gonnabe interesting to see the depth at safety
'cause I think that's the one thingthat I do have concerns about the most.

Brandan (01:07:17):
Yeah

Adam (01:07:17):
okay.
But Julian Love's been pretty durable.
Ty Okada's been pretty durable.
There's a lot of depth now,so-… they kept a bunch of
safeties on the squad, you know?
So there, there is that.
I do trust in Mike that way.
With that said, I, I feel like mylast expectations for the defense-

Brandan (01:07:33):
Mm-hmm

… Adam (01:07:34):
Byron Murphy and Nick Emmanwori are gonna be thought of as
the pinnacle, first team All-Pro-

Brandan (01:07:42):
Mm

Adam (01:07:43):
of their positions, and both will be in the top 30
of the NFL Top 100 next year.

Brandan (01:07:50):
Interesting, 'cause-

Adam (01:07:51):
Yeah

… Brandan (01:07:52):
it, it, th- you pick out those two, but what about Spoon?
Because he, he's yet to be thefirst team- He's not a stats guy.
He's not a stats guy, but he is-Yeah… a guy who, while he's hasn't
been first team All-Pro, he's beenmultiple time Pro Bowler, which we
now see the Pro Bowl's gone away.
but you can still get selected forthe Pro Bowl, and, which is fine.

(01:08:16):
But, he's not a s- do you think thatbased on what we saw from the playoffs
based on what we saw from the SuperBowl, I think we get-- I, I think we see
Not double-digit sacks, but I'mgonna c- I'm gonna say seven sack

(01:08:39):
season from Devon Witherspoon.

Adam (01:08:41):
That'd be a monster season from the quarterback position.
Holy schmoly.
I, it, I mean, it's in range.
I think b- between him and Emmanwori, like, I think Mike's ability
to mix that up, and that's exactlywhat he did in the Super Bowl, right?
Yeah.
Use, use Nick as the decoyand then let Spoon eat, and
that worked out brilliantly.
They're gonna do a lot of thatthroughout the entire season.

(01:09:02):
It's gonna be awesome.
The only reason I didn't put Spoonin that group i- isn't because
he's not as great as those othertwo players, 'cause he clearly is.

Brandan (01:09:10):
Mm-hmm.

Adam (01:09:10):
Like, I mean, it, he's the best DB in the league.
Like, fight me.
Like, I, like, I…
It doesn't matter.
Like, at the end of the day, he isone of those guys, he's not big
he's not z- particularly fast,he's not particularly strong.
You know what I'm saying?
Yeah, he's- Like, he doesn't put up

Brandan (01:09:27):
the big numbers… when you say not particularly, he just
he's not the fastest, he's notthe strongest, but he does- Yeah
he's, he is fast, and he is strong-He is… and he is a great tackler.

Adam (01:09:37):
Yeah, yeah.
But that's not the type of thingthat gets recognized outside of
like, football head circles, right?
Like-

Brandan (01:09:44):
Sure

… Adam (01:09:44):
casual, normie fan, which is kind of how that top 100 list
works a little bit, and even all-proselections to a large degree, That's

Brandan (01:09:52):
why I think there's gonna be that temptation there, for Mike to be like
"Let, let's get Spoon some stats," justlike we did in the, in the Super Bowl.

Adam (01:09:59):
I mean, hell, if you're that sort of dominant to
where you're like, all right,like-… let's, let's see here.
It's week, you know, 12 againstthe Cowboys and they have two offensive
linemen injured and they keep wantingto throw bombs, like, all right
today's the day Spoon gets four sacks.
You know?
And you just wanna rack it up?
Sure.

Brandan (01:10:19):
Yeah.
to get to seven, he canhave three two-sack games and
one, and one a single sack.
Like, I, I think that's inthe realm of, of possible.

Adam (01:10:28):
Oh, I'm not saying you're wrong.
Like, I, I wouldn't bet against it.
Not even a little bit.
Yeah, it…
I dare anybody out there to betagainst Dev- Devon Witherspoon.
Like, good luck with that.
'Cause if, when you'rewrong, he's gonna tell you.
We all know that.
Yeah

Brandan (01:10:43):
All right.
So that'll be why…
Y- you've predicted some stats.
I don't think I've, I've done a, agood stats prediction on offense.
I think, I, the…
Gosh, I, I really like AJ Barner.

Adam (01:11:00):
You should

… Brandan (01:11:00):
I, I don't think he g- he can get to Trey McBride level
even in this offense, but,I'm gonna say eight and eight.
800 yards, eight touchdowns.
That, that's my- Yeah… my bigshift I think for, for him to…
'Cause that's what, like 25% moreproduction than over last year?
Oh

Adam (01:11:18):
yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
Well, I, I, we're right in line there.

Brandan (01:11:21):
Okay.

Adam (01:11:22):
Yeah.

Brandan (01:11:23):
Did you already nail it for, for…
Oh, no, you were combining the two.
That's right.
We-

Adam (01:11:28):
Oh, no, I, I

Brandan (01:11:28):
gave

Adam (01:11:28):
a Barner- Or

Brandan (01:11:29):
maybe I

Adam (01:11:29):
did
I gave a Barner stat line and I gave-Okay… like an Arroyo, stat line.

Brandan (01:11:32):
That was so long ago.
You expect me to remember- No

Adam (01:11:35):
not even

Brandan (01:11:36):
a little bit… like I was paying attention to
what you were saying and-

Adam (01:11:37):
I mean, why would you care?
Like, I…
No, I don't.
I don't expect any of that.
That's for sure.
But, yeah, I mean, we kindatalked through it all and
we're a, an hour and change intothis, so we're probably gonna have
to get to record and, playoffpredictions and that sort of thing.

Brandan (01:11:54):
Yeah.
Record prediction.
gosh, they only lostthree games last year-

Adam (01:12:00):
Mm-hmm

… Brandan (01:12:01):
by, what was it, seven points total?

Adam (01:12:04):
Something like that.
Yeah.

Brandan (01:12:05):
They should…
Can they, can we just do that again?

Adam (01:12:08):
unlikely, but I, I would love- It

Brandan (01:12:10):
does feel unlikely- Yeah… considering there, there's going to be…
Despite everything that's happened withinthe division this off-season, the, the
target is still gonna be on the backof our Seahawks as Super Bowl champs.

Adam (01:12:23):
I don't know.
I don't know.

Brandan (01:12:26):
I think it

Adam (01:12:26):
is.
Nobody's talked about usfor the entire off-season.
All they talk about- The

Brandan (01:12:29):
media doesn't matter.
I'm, I'm talking about- Well… coachingand, and hyping their guys up as…
Like, they're, they're going toknow that they're going up against
the Super Bowl champs every year.

Adam (01:12:40):
I've seen a billion

Brandan (01:12:41):
player- Every game

… Adam (01:12:41):
interviews and they talk about the Rams all the effing time.
They do not talk about the Seahawks.
And I honestly believe that there'sa sense around the league that that
was a Nick Foles flukey Super Bowl.

Brandan (01:12:58):
Hmm.

Adam (01:13:00):
So I don't know that they're gonna get the best shot.
I think the Rams are gonna begetting everybody's best shot.
And, I think they're gonna havea, a really cute, nice regular season.
I think it's gonna be, gonnabe good for their deal, the
Rams, their regular season.
I, I predict the Seahawks win12 games this year because I think
it's gonna be a little bumpy withthe new OC for, for a minute.

(01:13:21):
I'm still scared of Myers.
Like they- and I'm, I'm making thisprediction assuming Jason Myers is gonna
like more or less figure it out, right?

Brandan (01:13:30):
Yeah, he just, he just had the, the yips and the pre- preseason yips.
That's all it was.

Adam (01:13:34):
D- sure.
Let's hope so.

Brandan (01:13:37):
It's like when you go out on the driving range at the golf course and
you're like, "Man, I am not-" Go back
gonna be able to put a singles- I, I won't even be able
to pull out driver today.
But then you get out to the course,and then you're ripping it, and
you're like, "Oh, it was justa driving range problem today."

Adam (01:13:50):
Yeah, yeah.
let's hope for that.
And that's what I'm makingmy prediction based on.
so I predict they'regonna win 12 games.
They're gonna be second in the division inlike a five seed or something like that.
What- however thoseseating, the seating works.
I never…
They change it all the time.
I, I just don't know.

Brandan (01:14:05):
Second in the division or the conference?

Adam (01:14:07):
No, division.
And, Oh… and then they'regonna storm through the playoffs, win
their second chip, and send the Ramspacking home, while Sean McVay
screams into his play call sheet asanother, you know, trying to buy
a championship season slips throughhis, hair gel slippery fingers.
And, we win oursecond chip back to back.

Brandan (01:14:28):
Hmm.
Okay.

Adam (01:14:29):
Little bit of adversity.
I'm bring- predicting alittle bit of adversity, but-
Yeah… coming through and stillbeing the champions that they are.

Brandan (01:14:35):
I think we get off to a 10 and two start, and people are really
questioning why they thought…
A- and, and the Rams will be theones that will start more slowly.
And, and then, we'll see moreof the adversity down the stretch
to where, you know, especiallytwo and two, then if you go three

(01:14:56):
and two to close the season, win13 games, then, then that's
going to feel like that late seasonadversity before we turn it around and-
Okay… and then win in the playoffs.

Adam (01:15:09):
Part of the reason I go from 14 to 12 as well is we're not
playing the AFC South this year.
Playing the AFC West.
And-

Brandan (01:15:16):
Sure

… Adam (01:15:16):
that's a, that's a damn good division.
Yeah.
And so there's gonna besome tougher games in there.
But I do think you're gonna geta little bit of a better shot
from some of these other teams.
But they're all looking atthe star-studded Rams and, you
know, 96-year-olds- There's only

Brandan (01:15:30):
two teams in the AFC West… Aaron Donald and be
like- So be, let's be honest

… Adam (01:15:33):
Chargers and Denver?

Brandan (01:15:36):
Denver and KC

Adam (01:15:38):
I mean, I, I- If you were gonna take one off, I'd take Kansas City, but
I'd say there's, there's three in there.

Brandan (01:15:45):
Yeah, I don't know.
I feel like we've alwayshad Harbaugh's number.
You know, Jay Harbaugh- I'm notafraid… is gonna want that, Jay
Harbaugh's gonna want that win bad.
He

Adam (01:15:53):
wants to beat daddy.

Brandan (01:15:54):
Yeah.

Adam (01:15:55):
Yeah.
Yeah, you always wanna do that and,have bragging rights at Thanksgiving
or, you know, that sort of thing.

Brandan (01:16:01):
And one thing that we've learned from previous, just last
season, Jay Harbaugh finds a way.

Adam (01:16:07):
Yeah.
And we're not gonna loseto the, the Raiders, right?
Like-

Brandan (01:16:12):
Who?

Adam (01:16:13):
Mike Macdonald's gonna end, end, Kirk Cousins' season.
Like, that's what's gonna happen there.
Ooh.
That'll be the, the first timehe's gonna have- That'll be

Brandan (01:16:20):
the Mendoza breakout game, huh?

Adam (01:16:22):
that'll be- Well, I

Brandan (01:16:23):
mean-

… Adam (01:16:23):
break glass and put in.
I, you know, I think he's gonnahave- Break, break him out of

Brandan (01:16:27):
the glass.
That's what-

Adam (01:16:27):
I, I think he's gonna have closer to a, Brosmer
situation than he will, abreakout game, that's for sure.
But-

Brandan (01:16:36):
Oh, I d- I wouldn't put him- We're

Adam (01:16:38):
gonna break Cousins

… Brandan (01:16:38):
in the Brosmer category.

Adam (01:16:40):
No, no.
Just first game against that defense,you come in in the third quarter
after Cousins goes down, and you know,you know, the defense is gassed up.
I still

Brandan (01:16:46):
expect him to be better than Brosmer, who had
like, deer in headlights,you know, panic interceptions.

Adam (01:16:52):
rookie quarterbacks, man.
Rookie quarterbacks.
That's all I gotta say.
There's, there's a lot of super talentedrookie quarterbacks that have come
through this league, that when they getup against a defensive mastermind…
Remember when Belichick used to tortureevery good rookie quarterback that would
come through- Oh, yeah… the league?
Yeah.
Yeah, just make their lives hell.
That, I mean, that's Mike.

(01:17:13):
That's what Mike do.
And

Brandan (01:17:13):
he, if, he should only get better at doing that.

Adam (01:17:16):
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.

Brandan (01:17:18):
see, and that's probably the place to end on, is-

Adam (01:17:21):
Yeah

… Brandan (01:17:22):
with Coach Mike.

Adam (01:17:22):
Yeah.

Brandan (01:17:23):
Because what we've seen That's, a- and I started there when we started
the show getting to see more of thebehind the scenes stuff with Coach
Mike than, than we ever have- Mm-hmm
that has me really excited abouthe thinks about things that I would
hope that my head coach is thinkingabout, and in the way that I, I

(01:17:46):
want him to be thinking about it.
Because yeah, y- because you don't know,for one, that coming off of year two
and winning the Super Bowl, you thinkthat, hey, I, I just need to keep
doing what I'm doing because I'm awesome.

Adam (01:18:00):
Yeah.

Brandan (01:18:00):
And you can see him think through these things like how, how do we find ways
to motivate this team in new ways becauseit is a new team, and it, it's not just…
And, and through different ways of justeven subtle language type things that
maybe seem corny, but it seems like atleast there's buy-in among the dudes

(01:18:23):
because you s- just the way you see theteam take, and I even go back to Tayo
Karma, like eh, it's, it's dudes likethat where you start to hear things that
the coach says come from the players,and i- when the coaches are going to
the, or when the, the leaders of theteam are going to the coach and asking

(01:18:43):
you know, how they want the coaches to, message certain things through them
that, that's a cool part that I, Idon't know if everywhere is like that
and I kinda think it probably isn't

Adam (01:18:58):
So much about Mike and seeing the behind the scenes stuff
that you're talking about that reallykind of jumps off the page to me is
the humbleness, the fear in not, like,I'm afraid, like, we can't ever put it
together, but the fear of like, "Ooh,I, I can't just sit on my laurels.
Like, I, I, we gotta-Yeah… we gotta iterate.

(01:19:21):
Like, we gotta chase those edges.
We gotta, you know, keep,keep pushing this forward.
Like, I'm not a made man.
Like, this could allevaporate tomorrow, right?"
Like, that's something thatI think is, is motivating.
The earnestness and just genuineness ofhim, even if some of the things he does
is corny, some of them really hit home,like when he was talking about, O.J.

(01:19:41):
Brigance-

Brandan (01:19:42):
Mm-hmm

… Adam (01:19:42):
in Hard Knocks, right?
And you can see that reallyconnect with his team.
And he does think about, you said hethinks about things that you hope or that
you want your head coach to think about.
I'd even take that a step further.
He thinks about things that I wouldn't-Wouldn't even… begin to think about.

Brandan (01:19:58):
Sure.

Adam (01:19:59):
You know?
And that's what you want, andhe's got the right people around
him, and he's not a person that Ifeel is satisfied with accolades.
In fact, I feel like the accoladescame and he was kinda like, "Well
that's cool, but, on to the next."
You know?
Just, that- Yeah… that's his mentality.

(01:20:19):
And I love it.
And when you have that sorta dude,like, helming the ship, you're in good
shape to- Yeah… go and go back toback and, again, end the Ram season
again in the playoffs as we will this

Brandan (01:20:32):
upcoming one.
It makes this team so much fun toroot for when you have- Yeah… not
just players that you know youcan root for, but coaches too.
I wish I got to see some BrianFleury so I know how much more
I could root for that dude.

Adam (01:20:44):
Nope.
He's under wraps.
He's under a coaching bubblewrap, and, the secrecy is
real when it comes to, to him.
We've had, I think, one publicpresser,… since training
camp started out of Fleury.
we've gotten zeroseconds on Hard Knocks.
I don't even think he's been seen inthe se- city of Seattle, even

(01:21:04):
with all the flock cameras are out.
Like, he's a ghost.

Brandan (01:21:07):
There's gotta be, there's gotta be a coffee place nearby that knows his…
I just…
Let me know what his coffee order is.
I need a little bit of intel on Fleury.

Adam (01:21:16):
Oh, I, I think, I think Fleury drinks a, I know
they, they have fancy names forthe sizes, but those are [bleep].
So let's just go-… a, a largeblack coffee, double cupped.

Brandan (01:21:29):
Oh.

Adam (01:21:29):
That's it.
No.
That's

Brandan (01:21:30):
all he drinks.
I, I bet he's a, he's atwo sugar, two cream guy.

Adam (01:21:34):
Two sugar, two cream.
Yeah.
Okay.
That, that seems like toomany to me, but that's fine.
Well, it's a

Brandan (01:21:38):
large…
Yeah… it's large.

Adam (01:21:40):
Yeah.
See, now because I'm such a princess,like, it's black coffee for me
but you gotta put some ice in therebecause my poor tender mouth just can't
handle the heat, like such a pansy.

Brandan (01:21:51):
Oh, that's, that does remind me of something, and I'll get it, get
into it in the second half of the show.
Okay.
Traveling to France, very different-Yeah… than, than some of the
things that we have here in the US,and, and coffee was one of them.

Adam (01:22:03):
Oui.

Brandan (01:22:06):
I will get to it, Adam, in the second half of the show.

Adam (01:22:09):
All right.
Let's-

Brandan (01:22:17):
Kicking off the second half of the show.
One thing that I, I wanted to,close the first half with, a question
that I, I just wanted to ask you.
Sure.
Especially if we both have theSuper Bowl prediction in mind but
who do you wanna go up against?

Adam (01:22:31):
Don't care.
Like, there, it's a- It's a…
The AFC is not nearly as goodas the NFC, again this year.
So-

Brandan (01:22:38):
No, but I, I, I think that would be kinda cool if
the team that we defeated…
like- Okay… maybe I want moreemotional damage for Ravens fans.
Like, if we were, if the Ravens wereto finally make it and, and get through
the playoffs, get to the Super Bowl,like, how good would it be just to, to
crush them with the guy that they couldhave had, even though th- they should
be very happy to get there with JesseMinter, then, as their head coach.

Adam (01:23:01):
No, that's, that's interesting.
I, I do think, Ravens wouldbe on my short list of AFC teams
that my sports hate is highfor, just always kinda has been.

Brandan (01:23:09):
Mm-hmm.

Adam (01:23:09):
No particular reason.
other than Brian Billick.
Just hated that guy.
Didn't like

Brandan (01:23:15):
him.
But you're an Ed Reed guy, you liked him.

Adam (01:23:17):
Yeah.
I mean, y- y- I'm a human.
You know?
Like, Ed Reed was awesome, no doubt.
Yeah, he was.
Just didn't like…
Yeah.

Brandan (01:23:24):
Flacco had some good years there.
Did you hate…
You didn't hate Flacco.

Adam (01:23:28):
I was indifferent about Flacco.

Brandan (01:23:30):
Okay.

Adam (01:23:30):
I mean, he's just other Eli, right?
But-

Brandan (01:23:34):
Sure

… Adam (01:23:34):
yeah, so, Ravens would be on that list.
I guess, honestly, ofall the teams, and this is so
sports petty it's not funny.
I, I would love to see Denver again.
Ooh.
I'd love to see Denver again, beat thebrakes off them again, get to laugh
in the face of Bronco Jarrett again.
Oh my God, it'd be glorious.
It was funny, he was out herejust, like, two weekends ago.

Brandan (01:23:56):
Yeah.

Adam (01:23:56):
And, we were talking about Bo Nix's ankle.
Uh-huh.
And, he's like, "I'mso glad that happened."
I was like, "Are you serious?"
He's like, "Yeah."
He's like, "We- there'sno way we're beating you."

Brandan (01:24:05):
Oh.
It

Adam (01:24:06):
wasn't happening.

Brandan (01:24:07):
He's…
Just the, th- avoiding humiliation.
He was glad- Yeah… that that, not, notso much glad that, Nix's ankle's gone.
That's funny.
He's gonna have to, Nix isgonna have to watch his ankles
in week three against the Rams.

Adam (01:24:20):
Yeah, probably.
but yeah, at the end ofthe day, that, that'd be one.
Chargers maybe.

Brandan (01:24:26):
See, Chargers would be interesting because y- again
you have the Harbaugh connection.
Although- Yeah… that could get a littletired in the two weeks of media leading
up to, you know, talking about, oh, CoachMike and how he came from working for Jim
and how, you know, Jay's, Jim's son.
Mm.
And that could, that couldb- get a little bit old.
But when you did bring up the Chargers,I did think that that would be

(01:24:50):
been a fun team at least to defeat.

Adam (01:24:54):
Yeah.
here's my ridiculous one,if I'm gonna put it in there.
Okay.
Tennessee.
Oh.
Like, I would love to see anotherteam-… with their second-year
rookie, or their second-yearquarterback, like, kinda overachieve
and get there a couple years early.

Brandan (01:25:08):
Uh-huh.

Adam (01:25:08):
And then you can get there, and your Super Bowl is against the Rams.
Then you beat the brakes off them,then you hoist another Lombardi
and then you talk dynasty and wow.
Yeah, I, I already like it.
Yeah.
Well, it- And you get to beat the[bleep] Chiefs every fall… it feels

Brandan (01:25:20):
a year early because their stadium's not finished Yeah, also too
isn't that, isn't that what the NFL writestheir script into for them for their
first, season in their new stadium?

Adam (01:25:30):
Oh, that's a good point.
I don't know, it just depends ifthey're gonna plan anymore for LI.

Brandan (01:25:35):
Yeah, well.

Adam (01:25:36):
Yeah, 'cause they're try- they're trying hard to script that
one for, for the Rams here with,geriatric Donald coming back.

Brandan (01:25:44):
I'm still-

Adam (01:25:45):
I'm starting to talk [bleep] about it now.
Like I don't care

… Brandan (01:25:49):
it, I, when I saw that salary, $20 million- Mm-hmm… for a dude who…
I, that's obnoxious to me.
That a guy who's out of footballfor two years- Mm-hmm… can come
out and, and have, and theteam is willing to go, "Oh, well
we saw you practice really hard.

(01:26:09):
Here's, here's 20 million withan opportunity to get 30."

Adam (01:26:14):
Yeah.

Brandan (01:26:14):
It, it seems overly
th- there's a word for it.
whether it's ambitious, whether it'sjust, yeah it's, it's something.

Adam (01:26:29):
Let's say, th- well, let's put the shoe on the other foot.
Let's say Cam had made it to,like, 31 and didn't have the neck
thing, but just said retired.

Brandan (01:26:38):
Yeah, just retired at 31.

Adam (01:26:40):
Yeah.
Took two years off and decided tocome back because Coach Mike was
magically here now, and they wereon a Super Bowl run and all that.
And the Hawks were like, "WatchCam Chancellor work out," and
he's Cam freaking Chancellor, andyou're like, "Sweet, we love you.
Here, here's 20 mil."
Would you be mad?
Here's

Brandan (01:26:57):
top of the market money-

Adam (01:26:58):
Would you be mad?

… Brandan (01:26:59):
at your position.

Adam (01:27:00):
Would you be mad that Cam Chancellor does

Brandan (01:27:02):
that deal?
As a fan I wouldn't be mad.
No.
But as a, a, as someone who watchesfootball, I think that there's no way
that that should legit actually work out.

Adam (01:27:11):
True.
And maybe, one of the cracks inthis whole thing, that we're gonna

Brandan (01:27:15):
hear- Because we saw it with Marshawn.

Adam (01:27:18):
Yeah.
No, you brought it up onthe last show that we did.
Yeah.
It was a great comp.
It was a great comp.

Brandan (01:27:22):
But it, it's, it's, it's a, well, great comp in terms of age, but-

Adam (01:27:28):
Just in philosophy.

Brandan (01:27:29):
Yeah.
It, defensive line is different though.
The, the- Yeah… the one, theone area to where, okay, where I
would be more comfortable with itworking would have been if Walter
Jones was out for two years.
Okay.

Adam (01:27:46):
Fair.

Brandan (01:27:46):
And, you know, say instead of Duane Brown, m- bringing-
Yeah, well, well-… you know,bringing him in, the timeline- It
had no consequences… would have to

Adam (01:27:55):
yeah.

Brandan (01:27:55):
Yes.
Yeah.
Let's, let's play pretend alittle bit with the timeline.

Adam (01:27:59):
Yeah.

Brandan (01:28:00):
But, yeah, you need a left tackle, and it's been two
years, and Walter Jones says, "I,I need top of the market money."
Then I, I could see it working

Adam (01:28:11):
It's not my money.
I don't give a crap.
Like

Brandan (01:28:14):
you know?
But also it's Walter freaking Jones.
Yeah.
Like, the best dude atthe position in, in-

Adam (01:28:20):
Generational

… Brandan (01:28:21):
this, that generation.

Adam (01:28:22):
Yeah, generational.
Which is what Aaron Donald was.

Brandan (01:28:25):
And at the position where, yes, it's physical, but is it…
It, it's not as reliant on speedand quickness as linebacker
or safety necessarily.

Adam (01:28:37):
Not necessarily, but the difference between the average
lineman and, like, the greatlineman, like, they're all strong.
Yeah.
And, like, the bestones are the strongest.
Don't get me s- don't get me wrong.
Like, I mean, it matters to, to be strong.
But the big difference is thequicks, and that, honestly too, for
Aaron Donald, that's his, that'shis, like, trump card, right?

(01:29:01):
Or it had been back in the past.
Not only was he a beast and strong, but hehad those quicks and the get off, right?
Right.
Does he still have that?
Like, I know you'll get Albert Breerout there, like, reporting, "Hey, wasn't
gonna come back unless he could beatAaron Donald" and, like, I don't know
how many snaps this is gonna be, buthe's gotta beat Ar- So if he's coming
back, then he's still Aaron Donald.
Yeah, okay, we'll see.

(01:29:21):
I, I, I am dubious of thisas being the slam dunk he's
Aaron Donald again thing thateverybody's penciling it in for.
And also, at the end of the day, becauseagain, back to sports hate- Look, there
wasn't, there wasn't a time that I'vebeen happier to see an opposing dude

(01:29:44):
freaking retire than watching AaronDonald finally ride off in the sunset.
Good.
Good riddance, [bleep].
I'm so tired of you andeverything about your 99.
Like, I just…
I, I'm, I'm over it.

Brandan (01:29:58):
Yeah.

Adam (01:29:58):
And now you're back to terrorize me one more time and to make
it so that, your stupid LA Rams getall of the freaking shine yet again?
Seriously, [bleep].
I am so done with it.

Brandan (01:30:12):
The only guy that I'm going to be more happy about moving on is when
Calais Campbell finally decides to retire.

Adam (01:30:20):
Dude, he, he's been around so much to so many
different teams that, like, atthis point, it's nothing but love.
Hey, there you go.
There's the dude who overcamethe sports hate, so maybe that's
what, Cup's gonna have to do.

Brandan (01:30:31):
To where he just sticks around long enough that you're like, "Oh-
Yeah… I re- I respect your longevity."

Adam (01:30:36):
And plays for, like, 18 teams, so he's not
really, you know, for one team.
You

Brandan (01:30:40):
don't think of him as a Cardinal necessarily anymore?

Adam (01:30:43):
No.
No, I think of him more as a…
That's a good question.
Raven, I guess?

Brandan (01:30:49):
Maybe.

Adam (01:30:50):
Yeah.

Brandan (01:30:50):
Jaguar?

Adam (01:30:53):
who?
Yeah

Brandan (01:30:55):
Exactly

Adam (01:30:56):
I don't think about anything on the, on the Jaguars.

Brandan (01:30:59):
Yeah.
Well, it- one thing I have beenthinking about is our new ownership
group, how that could have an impact.
Because going back and listening to alittle bit of John Schneider and talking
about what, the, the new ownershipgroup brings, it, it was interesting
to, to hear him list three things.

(01:31:20):
Because when they talked about theuse of like AI and how that could
be involved, and you're thinking…
I guess when I think about how teamsmight use AI, it's kind of like through
well, trying to dia- diagnose what trendsin play calling and that sort of thing.
But the three things that, and maybethis is just because this is where GM
brain goes, but it's through the medicalfield, scouting, and then coaching was

(01:31:43):
the number three thing that he listed.
Hmm.
And I, I do…
Having the new ownership- It, so I, Ijust, I'm curious of how it will have an
impact and, and if we notice anything.
Because I, I think the thing that themain people, the main thing people

(01:32:03):
hit on was that, the owner came outand said that, you know, he still watches
Steelers game, which I, it, it makescomplete sense to me that as an owner of
the 49ers you would continue to watch ateam that's, I don't know, at least worth
watching in the Pittsburgh Steelers.
So the, the fact that he remained a,a guy who would watch the Steelers
on a phonetic level, like that, thatjust made sense to me hearing it.

Adam (01:32:26):
Sure.
And also too, like I'll give him somecredit for like keeping his fandom
aligned, like for, for a lifetime.
You know, I've only had one switch.
so-

Brandan (01:32:38):
You would make that switch if you bought a team, I would think.

Adam (01:32:41):
Well, I think, you know, two things can be true at the same time.
I- in, you know, A- AFC, different co-conference and all that, right?
Yeah.
So you know, that can be your AFCteam and the Hawks are your NFC
team, and then, or n- not justyour NFC team, but like your team.
But, yeah, I, I thinkthat can all be just fine.

(01:33:02):
I, I don't care.
I, I'll put it to you like that.
I, I don't care that the AFC- I

Brandan (01:33:07):
don't think anybody cared.
I think that the re- Some people cared… well, I think that the care comes from
the idea that this is your announcementas the owner of the team, and that's gonna
be something that you bring up in the…
Like you didn't have to tell us that.
Oh, so you're not asked?
You could just say that, you could justsay that, you know, "I've been a fan of

(01:33:27):
football for a re- really long time."

Adam (01:33:29):
Yeah, you probably can.

Brandan (01:33:30):
And bec- because with it being the Steelers, had it been an AFC team
like had he come out and said, "Oh yeah,I've been a, a longtime Chargers fan,"
like I don't think it would have,connected with Seahawks fans the way of
him saying that he was a Steelers fan.

Adam (01:33:45):
Yeah.
No, and I get that.
It, look, and I'm not even as madat the Steelers as I am at the other
team we played in that Super Bowlthat wore, b- white and black
rather than,… yellow and black.
But, tho- those are the peopleI'm more, frustrated with.
But, yeah, at the end of theday, I, I mean, I can see why
it'd get under some people's skin.
also too, like I don't think we'regonna talk about Vinod like hardly at all.

(01:34:11):
Like it sounds like, you know, his sonNeil and, you know, his wife obviously-
Yeah… the, the controlling partner

Brandan (01:34:18):
or whatever.
She's the controlling owner,and it does seem like Neil is
going to be the, the dude who's-

Adam (01:34:23):
Hands-on

… Brandan (01:34:24):
like involved with the, the team more so.

Adam (01:34:26):
Yeah.
It w- we'll s- hard tell and not knowing.
We'll see how it goes.
I- I, I think it'll be just fine.
Like, I, I just, I haven'twasted, wasted is the wrong word.
I haven't spent too much, brainspace on the Khoslas and what the
ownership change means and all that.

Brandan (01:34:44):
No, that's gonna be something that- But there'll be things that-
not to worry about it, but just to beaware of where it could impact, and-
Yeah… it, there's, it's very possiblethat it only impacts in good ways.

Adam (01:34:57):
For sure.
And look, at the end of the day,we've had a change of ownership
during this John Schneider era now.

Brandan (01:35:04):
Yeah, from Paul to Jody.

Adam (01:35:06):
Yeah.
And while that was familial, andso you'd think there'd be similar
thinking there, I'm not gonnaworry much about it until John has
decided that he's done being a Hallof Fame GM for the Seattle Seahawks.
We're lucky.

Brandan (01:35:20):
I like the idea that he's already tr- you don't think of the training
going in the direction of the generalmanager to the owner, but I, I kind
of think that that, Yeah… thatcould have been there, especially for
the, the Paul to Jody transition of,you know, this is, these are the things
that, as the general manager, I, I am,the information that I'm giving you to

(01:35:40):
where these are the decisions that I,I want you to be in on type of thing.
Yeah.
and yeah, having that backgroundof, of GM'ing, I, I feel like that
can, can, the training can go more inthat direction than the overr- more of
the wanting to be a, a, an owner whooverreaches into what the team's doing.

Adam (01:36:04):
Also too, I'd be more worried if we were like the Panthers, right?
And new- Mm-hmm
ownership comes in, and you'vejust been a dumpster fire
forever, so they're like- But

Brandan (01:36:12):
we know how to fix it
… "Adam: Load up, I'm gonna do all sorts of things.
I'm gonna fix this."
Like, instead, we've got achampionship train on the tracks.
And so when you buy that team, you justgo, "Yeah, man, yeah, keep being awesome."
That, that'd be great.
Yeah.

Adam (01:36:27):
Make me money.

Brandan (01:36:29):
Keep being awesome.
Yeah.
Just like the show.

Adam (01:36:33):
Sure.

Brandan (01:36:36):
We want our executive producers to keep being awesome.
We've got DC8, we've got Ryan Peterson,our YouTube live executive producer.
We've got Lisa Carlson, and we'vegot, on the executive producer
list, Adam, Dave Blomquist.

Adam (01:36:51):
Oh, Bloomy.
So

Brandan (01:36:53):
I, I'm putting Bloomy there because he hosted me
when I- Yep… I made the tripout to France this past week.
Yep.
And I, I haven't talked a- about itreally on the show, but my daughter
got, a, a, a assistant teachinggig there essentially in France.
And, so yeah, I got to,to chauffeur, that's a French

(01:37:13):
word, chauffeur out- Bloomy
to, to France.
And, got to meet up withBloomy and, and, yeah.
Had a good time.
Do you, Adam-

Adam (01:37:22):
Mm-hmm

… Brandan (01:37:22):
you know what they call a Quarter Pounder with cheese in France?

Adam (01:37:25):
A Royale with cheese.

Brandan (01:37:26):
Royale with cheese.
Do you know what they call adouble Quarter Pounder with cheese?

Adam (01:37:30):
your mom.

Brandan (01:37:32):
Chicago style.

Adam (01:37:33):
How is that Chicago style?

Brandan (01:37:35):
I have no idea, but when we, you drive through the countryside in
France, and you see the McDonald's adsthere just like you see the McDonald's
ads here, and, they advertisea Chicago style burger, which is a
Double Quarter Pounder with cheese.

Adam (01:37:49):
Okay, fair enough.

Brandan (01:37:51):
My biggest regret in France-

Adam (01:37:53):
Yeah

… Brandan (01:37:54):
not trying the gas station baguettes

Adam (01:37:57):
Yeah.
It, that's gotta be their, like,version of gas station sushi, right?

Brandan (01:38:03):
That, well, that's what turned me off of it, because you walk into the
gas station and, and the gas stationsover there, especially off of, like, the
main interstate, they're just like the…
going into a Love's or a, youknow, one of the big time- Sure
gas station where you see…
And, but yeah, just loavesof bread sticking out of
the little paper containers.
And it was so novel that I, I felt like Ishould try it, but it also seemed like…

(01:38:28):
I, I wondered if it was more gasstation sushi, and so I just, I
wish I would've tried it to know.

Adam (01:38:34):
Do you think that a gas station baguette carries the same
health risks as gas station sushi?
'Cause I'm gonna go with no.

Brandan (01:38:40):
It, it can't be.
There's n- 0%- No… chance that it is.
i- it's probably, it's probablyeven less of a health risk than a
eight-hour hot dog at the gas stationthat's been there on the, the h- warmer.

Adam (01:38:55):
Mm, it might be more than that, because that's a 0% health risk.
Because if you have a hot dog on therollers for eight hours, there ain't
nothing alive inside of that thing.
Like, all you're getting isa, a crunchy piece of sodium.
Yeah.

Brandan (01:39:08):
Maybe.

Adam (01:39:09):
Mm-hmm.

Brandan (01:39:09):
they did have mango, Pepsi Zero.

Adam (01:39:14):
Nope.

Brandan (01:39:15):
It was not good.

Adam (01:39:16):
Yeah, well, I'm sure.

Brandan (01:39:18):
but the things that I…
that were way better about France-

Adam (01:39:23):
Okay

… Brandan (01:39:23):
Coke Zero.
So you hate

Adam (01:39:25):
America now.
That's fine.
Okay.

Brandan (01:39:27):
Well, I'll tell you the things that I hate- Yeah
about America now.
Coke Zero, here, isnot good compared to the Coke Zero
in Europe, or in France, at least.

Adam (01:39:35):
Better Coke Zero?

Brandan (01:39:36):
Better Coke Zero.

Adam (01:39:37):
Yeah, that, that makes some sense because didn't they pass, like
some laws about the sugar in the-

Brandan (01:39:41):
Yeah… soda?
'Cause better zero sugar Red Bull, too.
Mm.
The sugar-free Red Bullover there, way better.

Adam (01:39:47):
Is there, is there a good version of those?

Brandan (01:39:50):
the…
You would…
I think you would be surprised.
I think you would like- They tastelike-… the sugar-free Red Bull.

Adam (01:39:54):
They taste like the Dennis or Swish.

Brandan (01:39:56):
That's what I'm- They taste like- That's why I was so surprised.
I was like, "Oh, this tastes good."

Adam (01:40:01):
Okay.

Brandan (01:40:01):
This is a good flavor now.

Adam (01:40:02):
Well, you usually drink those, so I figured-

Brandan (01:40:04):
I do… you'd like them if you like, yeah… and I, I was disappointed
when I drank it over there and I was like,"Oh, this is so much better," 'cause I'm
not gonna, you know, haul cases home.

Adam (01:40:12):
How much of a tariff do you think you're gonna have to pay
to import that, French- I s-
you know-

Brandan (01:40:17):
I'll let you know once I-

… Adam (01:40:18):
Red Bull Zero?

Brandan (01:40:19):
Yeah.

Adam (01:40:20):
Yeah.

Brandan (01:40:21):
Once I, once I do that.

Adam (01:40:21):
But is it worth it?

Brandan (01:40:23):
I don't know if it is.
It, it's not that much different thatit might be worth it- Okay… but-

Adam (01:40:26):
All right… it

Brandan (01:40:28):
might be.

Adam (01:40:29):
Well, I really enjoy that you used your daughter as cover
to go and hang out with Bloomy-
and, bring him back

Brandan (01:40:36):
on board.
Oh, the coffee.
The, the coffee- Yeah… is the onething that I wanted to get to too
because, Ooh… when they bringyou, like, when you order a latte-

Adam (01:40:42):
Mm-hmm

… Brandan (01:40:43):
you, you can drink it as soon as it gets to your table.

Adam (01:40:46):
Now, see?
They get it.
They absolutely get it.
Because this is mynumber one [bleep] about coffee.
Anywhere you get it, especially if you'renot, like, somebody who likes to get
a bunch of cream or stuff that, like,kinda cools it off naturally, right?

Brandan (01:41:00):
Yeah.

Adam (01:41:00):
if you just get a regular cup of coffee, if it burns your hand
it should burn your [bleep] tongue.
Like, you, you shouldn'thave asbestos tongue.
Like, that's, that's not a thing.
Like- Yeah… like, I thoughtMcDonald's lady proved that with
her, like, little lawsuit, you know?
Yeah.

Brandan (01:41:15):
Oh, I should've tried McDonald's coffee to see if…
That would've been the true test.

Adam (01:41:18):
Yeah.

Brandan (01:41:19):
Is if McDonald's coffee was drinkable right out of
the, out of the pot there.

Adam (01:41:26):
Yeah.
Mm.
That would've been interesting.
All

Brandan (01:41:28):
right.
So, yeah, that was- Well,now I have to go back.

Adam (01:41:29):
Yeah.
Now m-

Brandan (01:41:30):
Now I have to go hang out with Bloomy again.

Adam (01:41:31):
Yeah.
So I, I've traveled with a, ahandful of dudes, for wheel
grinds over the years, right?
And I'd always order my coffee, be like,you know, "Large coffee, black," with
just a little bit of ice to cool it up.

Brandan (01:41:42):
Mm-hmm.

Adam (01:41:43):
And they'd all make fun of me and sure, I'm a
princess about it, that's fine.
But, like at the end of theday, like, after about six months
traveling together and all that, guesswhat everybody else started doing?

Brandan (01:41:54):
Uh-huh.

Adam (01:41:55):
Yeah.
Because it's genius.
Because I wanna drink my coffee now.
It's my coffee and I want it now.

Brandan (01:42:01):
Yeah.
And that makes it drinkable now.

Adam (01:42:03):
That's right.
And so, I'm proud of theFrench for figuring that out.

Brandan (01:42:07):
Maybe they've been doing it all along, and we're the-

Adam (01:42:09):
Yeah

… Brandan (01:42:10):
the, the screwed up country when it comes to drinking coffee right away.

Adam (01:42:14):
Yeah.
Doesn't, isn't it Europe thatdoesn't believe in ice, though?

Brandan (01:42:17):
Yes.

Adam (01:42:18):
Okay.

Brandan (01:42:20):
But they s- use, they still keep their drinks in the cooler

Adam (01:42:24):
Gotcha

Brandan (01:42:25):
But regardless, a big thanks to Dave for, yeah
letting me, putting me up at hishouse and, taking me out to eat.
And I, I said, "You know what?
If, if you're not gonna let me pay fordinner one of these times, you're gonna
be an executive producer of the show."

Adam (01:42:40):
Oh, for sure.
Look, it, don't feel bad about itthough, because the CIA puts them up
in nice houses-… and they, theygive him a really nice wage, you know?

Brandan (01:42:49):
Yeah.

Adam (01:42:49):
Like.

Brandan (01:42:50):
I, I think I did find out that it's Heather who's part of the CIA, not…
That he's just along for the ride.

Adam (01:42:55):
Dude, that's even better for his deal.
No, none of the work and all the bennies?
That's awesome.
Congratulations to Dave.
Heather

Brandan (01:43:01):
is awesome, by the way.

Adam (01:43:02):
Oh, I'm sure she is.
I'm sure she is.
That, she would have to be,'cause, 'cause Dave's awesome.
We've been missing you, Dave.
I'm, I'm glad that, I'm glad that, you guys had a good time together.
It sounded awesome.

Brandan (01:43:13):
Another person who is awesome, who I listed among the
executive producers, Lisa Carlson,giving us a raise in at the
executive producer $90 a month level.
Holy Hannah.
So appreciated that from Lisa.

Adam (01:43:24):
Yeah, man.
They, Lisa, Greg, you guys are fantastic.
hopefully you're getting some ofthat CIA money too to help offset that.

Brandan (01:43:33):
We also got Lee Rydberg in at $60 for the year.
And Lee says, "Been a s- been alistener for many years, but Adam's
Better At Life about the Flock cameraguy earned my annual subscription again."
"Best Seahawks pod ever, and alwayscoming down on the right side of history.
Looking forward to running it forwardthis season, and fortuitously busting

(01:43:54):
our way to another Super Bowl.
You guys rule.
Go Hawks.
P.S.
Keep the Hard Knockscommentary episodes going."
By the time you hear this,Hard Knocks will have ended
but, We're gonna miss it
a big thanks to you, Lee.

Adam (01:44:07):
Yeah.
No, appreciate you a ton, Lee.
I'm glad that, you foundthe, necessity and humor in the
dude in Arizona who took out hiscity council over the Flock thing.
That was great.

Brandan (01:44:21):
Also, welcome back to Josh Hight, who is in at 12.12
and, we're gonna be seeing JoshDeHooman from Discord, at the game.
Oh, yeah.
'Cause we're gonna be going tothe Patriots game next week.
And, still have a few tickets left.
I know Josh got one of 'em.
And, yeah, if yougo to getintheflock.com
you're gonna get a ticket.

(01:44:42):
You're gonna get to…
Tuesday night…
And let us know if you're coming, though.
Tuesday night we gotreservations at 13 Coins.
This is the first time that we,that we paid for, the
actual room, the reserve roomfor dinner, the night- Oh, we

Adam (01:44:56):
fancy like.

Brandan (01:44:56):
I know.
Well, okay, I have to be honest.
I, I may not have done it, but,Lisa did say it's their anniversary.

Adam (01:45:04):
Oh.

Brandan (01:45:04):
And so I, I thought, "You know what?
For a long time Flocker, and nowexecutive producer- We gotta do it
we, we gotta pony up for ourexecutive producers that- I
love it… support us."

Adam (01:45:14):
No, this is gonna be sweet.
But yeah, man.
It's gonna be- If all thatsounds cool to you guys-

Brandan (01:45:18):
13 Coins.
Yeah… the, the,and tailgate with Tracy.
That's right.
And, she's got the new tailgatespot that we were there for…
If anybody came out for theNFC Championship game, it's
gonna be at that same spot.
So we'll be tailgating with Tracy.
And, there's game- othergames day stuff going on, too.
I think some of us are thinkingabout going to the Mariners.

(01:45:38):
I got, a few tickets 'cause…
Is it Luke Bryan?
Is that the, the guy who's gonnabe playing in the parking lot?
I don't

Adam (01:45:46):
know.
Country guy

Brandan (01:45:47):
who?
I, I, I thought maybe acountry guy you would know him.

Adam (01:45:49):
I know the name, and if you…
I, I'm just, I'm just, I,I'm not good at the music trivia-
Okay… and names and all that.
Like, I, I, I don't.
Like- I thought you knew somecountry… you play the song…
Well, I mean, I do.
I know the songs.
Yeah.
So if you play a song, I'd belike, "Oh, yeah, I know that song."
"Well, who sung it?"
that one guy.

Brandan (01:46:06):
That guy.

Adam (01:46:06):
Yeah.
It just…
I, I have to keep room in my brainfor, how many potential yards
that Elijah Arroyo is gonna

Brandan (01:46:13):
Right… have this year.
Yeah.
Good, good point.
Yeah, so Luke Bryan, I do have a fewtickets for the, the kickoff of that
That'd be cool… kickoff concert.
And, and then we'll probablyget together after the game, too
depending on, I don't know- For sure
if, if we're worn outor not, but, yeah.

Adam (01:46:29):
I will be.
Yeah.
And I'll, I'll [bleep] and moan, but, like, yeah.

Brandan (01:46:33):
We might just go back to the tailgate spot
after the game and, and hang.
That might work

Adam (01:46:36):
good.
That might work good.

Brandan (01:46:38):
So, getintheflock.com
we still have some tickets left,and, should be a good time.

Adam (01:46:43):
Yeah.
Can't wait to see all you littleFlockers there as we drop the
championship banners and,embarrass, Cheat and Vrabel again.
That'll, that'll be, that'll be fun.

Brandan (01:46:53):
Oh, shout-out to a couple new YouTube members, too, that
I saw, The Hawk's Eye podcast.
We got Juan Adame and Chris "Smokehawk"Nelson as new YouTube members.

Adam (01:47:03):
Hell, yeah.
That's awesome, man.
Appreciate you guys.
And, yeah, if you're do-if you are watching this on the
YouTube, yeah, become a member.
be sure to do the like-ski, thesubscribe-ski, all that good stuff.
And, there's also the hype-ski.

Brandan (01:47:17):
Oh, yeah.

Adam (01:47:18):
Yeah, you can do

Brandan (01:47:18):
that.
The, the hype-ski button.
That, I like that…
Now, this is not just, just to geteverybody to go and press the like button.
Yeah.
But, now on YouTube, whenyou click the like button, I, I
saw a little football, a littlespirally football show up.

Adam (01:47:32):
No.

Brandan (01:47:32):
Yeah.
You gotta go try it.

Adam (01:47:35):
Wow, that's pretty cool.
I don't usually like our own videos,but, like, maybe I'll have to do that
just so I can see that beautiful spiral.
Yeah.
How many, can I have as manyRPMs on it as Sam Darnold puts on it?

Brandan (01:47:45):
No.
There's zero chance that it had that many.

Adam (01:47:49):
Zero chance.
Can't spin it like Sam, buthit the like button anyway.

Brandan (01:47:52):
Yeah.
Well, maybe if it…
Maybe what you try doing is,spamming it and to see if you
can get it as fast as Sam's ball.

Adam (01:47:58):
That's really gonna confuse the algo, though.
Like-… you're just, like,liking, unliking, liking, unliking.

Brandan (01:48:04):
Yeah, maybe.
All right, we got, somee-mail, Adam, from Hugh.
Oh, sweet.
The, the father of our overlord says,"Hi Brandan and Adam, supporters of
the reigning Super Bowl champions.
I have really enjoyed watchingthe anointing of the Lambs as
the next Super Bowl champions bythe vast majority of the media.

(01:48:27):
I would imagine Coach Mike and therest of the team will not find it hard
to motivate the players this year.
If I were them, I would just have awall of press cuttings in the VMAX
showing every article, forgettingabout them and allowing them to
prove everyone wrong once again.
I really don't understand then feelingthat we will be vastly different.

(01:48:47):
Yes, on the offensive side of theball we have lost Kubiak and Walker
but we have gained an OC fromsimilar stock, which will give us
consistence- consistency whilsthopefully building on what went before.
Clearly John and Mike have learntfrom the Grubb hire and gone back
to a solid NFL coach with experiencerather than the land of unicorns

(01:49:08):
and fairies where Grubb resided.
With regards to losing Walker, yes,he was excellent in the position
or excellent in the postseasonwhen Sharps went out injured.
But also, I always hear that runningbacks have little to no value as they
aren't important in the modern NFL.
So why do these two movesmake us so much weaker?
On the defensive side of the ball,we lost our third-best corner, our

(01:49:31):
third-best safety, and our fourth-bestedge, but evidently this is going
to torpedo us for the next season.
I think not.
The most important part is we stillhave Coach Mike, who it would appear
is a bonafide defensive genius.
I don't see an Eagles style slump.
I see us running it backforward and everywhere possible.

(01:49:53):
For the UK listeners especially, whoremember Kevin Keegan from the '90s, I
would love it, love it if we beat them.
If you've never seen it, lookat this famous football manager
interview/rant up on YouTube.
Have an awesome day, from Hugh."

Adam (01:50:07):
Yeah.
Already having an awesome day,Hugh, hearing from you, man.
you may have been confused which, podcast you're writing into when
you use highbrow words like whilst.
Or, or like, that, that was, that was impressive and
thank you for making me feel dumb.
but your, youremail, spot on, bud.
Like, we completely agree.

Brandan (01:50:28):
Well, and speaking of Hugh and the father of
the Pick 'Em League overlord-

Adam (01:50:32):
Yeah

… Brandan (01:50:32):
the Pick 'Em League is back this year.
The link is up at SeahawkersPodcast.com.
So if you wanna get in and,you know, find out what time of the
off-season, if it's gonna be thisoff-season, next off-season when
you get your Pick 'Em League award,maybe, maybe I'll surprise you and
do it right in the week that you win.
We- you'll just have to wait and find out.
But- Yeah… you can only do thatif you go and get in our Pick 'Em

(01:50:55):
League at SeahawkersPodcast.com.

Adam (01:50:57):
Do it.
It's a great time.
Also, I think there's a bet on Calci, for the over under of how many
weeks that I remember to put in picks.
I think it's at, like, five and a halfright now is the over under You know
th- that's, that's reasonable.

Brandan (01:51:10):
Yeah.
F- see, the, the trick is though thisyear, is if you have any grinding gigs.
'Cause it would always be the weekthat- I know… you have a grinding
gig on the weekend, that that would bethe week that would derail your picks
for the entire rest of the season.

Adam (01:51:24):
Well, if I do end up having to do a wheel grind, it's gonna be max one.
But Bronco Jared has taken over all that,and- Okay… he is, he's kicking
butt and taking names, making sparks.
So, yeah, I'm very excited tosay that I haven't had to grind a
wheel in a very long time, and that, you know, all of our Goldsworks

(01:51:46):
endeavors on the woodworking end of thethings has been, just gangbusters.
We can't make- Oh… enoughstuff to, keep up and

Brandan (01:51:54):
So you're not even filling up the website?

Adam (01:51:57):
Oh, God, no.
No, I, I, I don't have time to.
Like, I mean, we're gonna, we'regonna finish up some stuff tomorrow
and it'll be gone on Wednesday.

Brandan (01:52:05):
Okay.
Yeah.
Well, okay, for the flock whowants stuff like that, the only
way you get it is if you go toPhillipsburg, Farmer's Market.

Adam (01:52:12):
No, you just shoot me a message and be like, "I want something like
this, and, i- in roughly this color."
And we'll make it up, and if itgives you the fizz, it's yours.
If you…
And you can buy it.
If after we make it you're like, "No, thatwasn't exactly what I wanted," no worries.
We'll just put it out for saleand, we'll sell it that way.
So if there is anything on, on yourradar that you're looking for with

(01:52:35):
a little wood epoxy goodness, yeah,hit us up at, goldsworksmt.com.
And, yeah.
So there's a impromptuad that I didn't plan.

Brandan (01:52:44):
May- maybe Goldsworks needs to sponsor the Pick 'Em League, and so
we have weekly prizes from Goldsworks.
Oh, my

Adam (01:52:50):
God, that's a genius idea.
Yeah.

Brandan (01:52:54):
Then I can, I can farm out the weekly prizes to
to this, amazing company.

Adam (01:52:59):
That's right.
And, Brittany will hate me because, she'll have to do the, the epoxy
work on all that and- 'Cause she'salready, she's already bowed out.
N- just once a week, babe.
Just once a week, justfor the Pick 'Em week.

Brandan (01:53:12):
Some bottle openers.
Come on.

Adam (01:53:14):
S- some bottle openers.
Nothing hard.
She just grunted, I think, so.

Brandan (01:53:19):
All right.
Well, maybe we got our answer.
But, you find out bywinning week one what, your
prize- Yeah… is this season.
Actually, I was thinking about gettingsome, Super Bowl programs this year.

Adam (01:53:29):
Ooh, that'd be, that'd be sweet.
Yeah, 'cause you're gonna need-

Brandan (01:53:33):
I don't know

Adam (01:53:33):
if it's-… the first in the trilogy- Yeah… when they
when they win three in a row here.

Brandan (01:53:36):
Yeah, so just collect them all and start with the, the one that…
But I, I too, I wonder how many peoplegot the Super Bowl program from last year.
Is that something people-Oh, not, not this guy
have collected

Adam (01:53:47):
yet?
Not this guy.
But I, I don't, I don'tkeep memorabilia like that.
Right.
That's just not my jam.
A lot of people do.
So yeah, I think that'd be a cool prize.
I think most people would be into it.

Brandan (01:53:58):
All right.
Well, what do you say we get down tosome do better and better at life?

Adam (01:54:03):
I'm not sure I want to.

Brandan (01:54:05):
Well, I'll go first then.

Adam (01:54:06):
Not sure I want to.
Okay, go ahead.

Brandan (01:54:07):
Then, then, you know- Yeah… you can decide
if you're into it, to this

Adam (01:54:11):
Yeah

… Brandan (01:54:11):
this show or not.
I'll just put it against yourreport card come June, July, and
… decide how you did atyour do better and better at life.

Adam (01:54:19):
It'll be, it'll be on your, Festivus list of grievances.

Brandan (01:54:21):
Yeah.
Yeah.
It'll just go on your permanent record.
It's fine.

Adam (01:54:24):
Fair.

Brandan (01:54:26):
My do better this week, Adam, man, you know it's rough out there when
the sports books are taking donations.
sports books listingAaron Donald as comeback…
You can, you can bet on Aaron Donaldas comeback player of the year.
I, I saw the Bleacher Report wasadvertising through their BR

(01:54:47):
gambling site, what- whatever it was.
yeah, the Bleacher Reportarticle from Timothy Rapp.
And not only that, so they writean article that highlights
an X post from @BR_betting.
Aaron Donald is officially back,and they put a little s-

(01:55:07):
siren, light and a, a ring.
Ah, the emoji.
Rams plus 500 to win the SuperBowl, Donald plus 850 to win
comeback player of the year.
You know what the problem with this is?
Comeback Player of the Year was anaward that got changed right after both
Geno Smith won it one year, and thenJoe Flacco won it the following year.

(01:55:30):
Mm-hmm.
And they changed it so youhave to actually be injured.
The AP Comeback Player of the Year.
Oh.
This is the, the wording ofthe, from the AP now.
It is to honor a player who hasdemonstrated resilience in the
face of adversity by overcomingillness, physical injury, or other
circumstances that led him- Mm… tomiss playing time the previous season.

Adam (01:55:54):
Yeah, there's your loophole.
I

Brandan (01:55:54):
don't think the spirit of the award that other circumstances include
"I just didn't wanna play footballanymore, so I sat out for a couple years."
for, for any sportsbook takingbets on Aaron Donald to be Comeback
Player of the Year, that is absolutelyridiculous, and you need to do better.

Adam (01:56:15):
It's shady.
It's shady.
It's shady as

Brandan (01:56:18):
hell.

Adam (01:56:19):
I'll give you that.
Yeah.
also too

Brandan (01:56:20):
I'm also taking money, though.
I will take the…
I will give people plus 850odds on, on Aaron Donald getting
Comeback Player of the Year.

Adam (01:56:28):
This is interesting.
I didn't

Brandan (01:56:29):
know that this was the- Send, send the money to at, to Venmo @hakra.
And, I'll, I'll pay you out at
the end

Adam (01:56:35):
of the year.
And a bookie is born, baby.
A bookie is born.
Look at that.
no, I, I just think that theother circumstance, loophole
man, like again, it's the Rams.
Sure.
It's Aaron Donald.
Like, they, they'll, they'll…
Of course they'll use the loophole

Brandan (01:56:51):
But Patrick

Adam (01:56:52):
Mahomes- All he has to do is step up

Brandan (01:56:53):
Patrick Mahomes is coming off of injury, Adam

Adam (01:56:57):
Fair.
Fair, and that legit-and he's a quarterback.

Brandan (01:57:02):
Uh-huh.

Adam (01:57:03):
And he's Patrick Mahomes.

Brandan (01:57:04):
Right.

Adam (01:57:05):
Yeah.
Like- So

… Brandan (01:57:06):
if, if there's…
You're silly to put on, moneyon Aaron Donald either way because-

Adam (01:57:11):
Yeah

… Brandan (01:57:12):
you got Patrick Mahomes who's gonna be up for the award.

Adam (01:57:14):
That's an excellent point.
I didn't think about the Mahomes angle.
You're right, they're juststraight stealing out there.

Brandan (01:57:19):
I, the, I w- I wasn't gonna use that word.
That's why I went with taking donations.
I don't wanna…
I, I don't need to beinvolved in any litigation.
and that's why I also

Adam (01:57:29):
put- Oh, sue me for my hundredaire status.
Like, this is theft.
Get out of here.

Brandan (01:57:34):
It's ridiculous.

Adam (01:57:36):
Yeah, it is ridiculous, man.
Well, speaking of ridiculous things,this is why I wasn't excited about
Do Better this week, Brandan.
because Do Better this week is forme, and this is, this is, this is legit.

Brandan (01:57:48):
Oh.

Adam (01:57:49):
I, I de- I deserve this one real good.

Brandan (01:57:51):
You know, you only- Real good
bring this up when you doreally deserve a Do Better.

Adam (01:57:54):
Just a, just a super dum-dum.
And, I bring this upbecause, you know, this is

Brandan (01:57:59):
a- Wait, show me your fingers.
Do you have them all?

Adam (01:58:01):
Oh, still barely.

Brandan (01:58:02):
Oh.
But they're

Adam (01:58:03):
there.

Brandan (01:58:04):
Yep.
Okay.
Well, you haven't…
No

Adam (01:58:06):
almost lost it once.
It's okay.
We're not going there.
Yeah, no, no,nobody hurt, thank God.
not that, that wasn'tin range, so to speak.
So, w- we have a couchi- in our living room, and I
hate this [bleep] couch, dude.
It hurts my back.
Can't stand it.
I wanna get something different.
I'm thinking we're gonna go,like, old people recliners

(01:58:28):
like, next to each other.

Brandan (01:58:29):
Oh, there you go.
Mm-hmm.

Adam (01:58:30):
Yeah.
You know, we're just gonna make that leap.
maybe get a walker.
I don't know.
But, got this couch.
Don't like it much.
But the other day, I decided maybe…
maybe it was subconscious.
I decided I was gonnateach us a, a lesson.
I don't know.
But I go out to our side-by-side,and I'd gone on a hike with Ollie
and, you know, I, I take afirearm with me when I go hiking.

(01:58:52):
So hold the firearm from theside-by-side, walked inside.
I'm, I'm talking to Brittany,and this is something I've done-
15,000 times, right?
Uh-huh.
Like, this is, this is a, is ar- as routine as routine gets.
So, talking to Brittany, I've, I've got my, my pistol in, in
my hand and, we live in a, ina, in a tiny cardboard box of

(01:59:16):
you know, nothing out in the woods.
Not a lot of places to pointsaid thing in safe direction if
you're, if you're doing anything.
So like, yeah, I'm walkingover, I'm talking to Brittany
and I point in the corner.
And so I go over and I, I'm gonna, empty the chamber and
pull the trigger so that the pincomes down and so it doesn't store
it with, like, a loaded spring.
And so I'm talking to her and I, I,I rack the slide and I'm talking to

(01:59:38):
her and I didn't drop the magazine.
I pointed it at the couch and go, bang!
I shot it.
I shot the couch, Brandan.
I shot it right through the seat of it.
I hate this [bleep] couch anyway, so I…
Now I think I taught it a lesson.
The coffee table doesn't look at methe same way after this either, right?
But so I put a hole right the, rightthrough the seat, of, of the couch.
I've never, never in my life had a roundgo off where I didn't intend it to go.

(02:00:01):
Wow.
Not out of tens and tens of- You

Brandan (02:00:03):
Plaxico'd your couch.

Adam (02:00:04):
I Plaxico'd the [bleep] couch.
And like, so now, I…
Like at this point, Brittany,like, sics her out of the bedroom
and she's like, "What was that?"
I was like, "It was an accident!
It was an accident."
I'm just so stunned.
And I, I, I think I heardher say that because all I
heard after it went bang was
bing!
Because it's in pretty tight quarters.
Fortunately, like, it just…

(02:00:25):
It, it was in a spot that,like, nobody could get hurt.
So I'm thinking about writing a, areview now for Wallaroos, Furniture.
Their, their couches, like, I don'tknow, three, three and a half stars.
Like, [bleep] couch, hurts yourback, but it is bulletproof.
It can take a bullet.
No, it's bulletproof and ithides bullet holes real well.
Like, it didn't penetrateall the way through.

Brandan (02:00:46):
Whoa.

Adam (02:00:47):
There's a bullet in my [bleep] couch right now.
And, like, the hole,you can't even tell.
You can't even tell.
It's amazing.
So that part of it was cool.
So, for all of you who are doingyour regular firearm things and
out and about, even if you have tonsof experience, even if you, you
know, take all the precautions, allthat, like, just be extra careful.

(02:01:09):
It only takes a second for you to be adumb-dumb just like me and do better.

Brandan (02:01:14):
Yeah, that's

Adam (02:01:15):
a- Don't shoot your furniture.

Brandan (02:01:16):
that was something that y- being in the Navy and
standing watch, you, you had to do.
That was a routine of, of justcharging your weapon, you know
as you turned over the watch.

Adam (02:01:27):
Yeah.

Brandan (02:01:28):
And I, I never had that happen, but I, I knew people who had that happen.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I

Adam (02:01:32):
forgot to drop the mag.

Brandan (02:01:34):
Yeah.

Adam (02:01:34):
So when I racked the slide, it just put in another bullet-

Brandan (02:01:37):
Right

… Adam (02:01:38):
then I, then I decided that the couch needed to die.

Brandan (02:01:39):
But it's one of those things, like, if you do it
routinely that you can kind of…
It, it can be something that you-

Adam (02:01:46):
Yep

Brandan (02:01:47):
Yeah, overlook

Adam (02:01:48):
Yep, that's what I did.
So, yeah, I w- I vacillated whetherI was even gonna tell that story on
the podcast after it happened, but, 'cause I'm, I'm, I'm embarrassed.
I've, I'm legitimatelyembarrassed about it.
I

Brandan (02:02:00):
can understand it.
But, yeah.
But it, it does take us tothe, the logical next step-

Adam (02:02:05):
Yeah

… Brandan (02:02:06):
of wh- I, I will say that, n- now that we are getting
to advanced age in our, you know-Yeah… upper 40s- Mm-hmm… one of
the best decisions that we made at ourhousehold was going from the couch that
was more aesthetically pleasing and,but kind of low to the ground- Right
and always, not only y- you felta little sore getting up from it

(02:02:28):
but it also, you had to do the,the getting up grunt every time.

Adam (02:02:32):
Yep.

Brandan (02:02:33):
w- once we went to the, the more of the recliner type sofa-
Yeah… we didn't go, we didn't go sideby side recliners, but we, we did get a
reclining sofa- Like love seat reclining?
that was-

Adam (02:02:43):
Yeah

… Brandan (02:02:43):
yeah, and it's actually, it's, it's full length.
Okay… so it's couch, butit's reclining, but it's higher.
So, and- Yeah… yes, it's not,not a great sleeper couch, but it's
also a much better sitting couch.
And, Yeah… and, and it,again, not the, not the prettiest
but it, it's, when youhave one that you're not getting up

(02:03:06):
and being sore from sitting down-

Adam (02:03:08):
Yes

Brandan (02:03:08):
you, you do appreciate that.

Adam (02:03:09):
Yeah.
I don't know what age to start.
I guess it's 47, is when-… sitting on the couch hurt me.
Like that was ridiculous.
And, so I had to let itknow,… and so I did, I

Brandan (02:03:23):
can't vouch for the bulletproof nature of the couch that we got, though.

Adam (02:03:26):
I can.
Look, if there's ever a home invasion,man, I'm hiding under the couch.
I'm safe.

Brandan (02:03:30):
You're safe.

Adam (02:03:31):
That's right.
Unload a mag.
Good luck.
If it's 9-mil, it ain't getting through.
Yeah.

Brandan (02:03:37):
There you go.
Well, maybe keep that aroundjust as a, you know, a barrier
for your shooting range out

Adam (02:03:44):
Nah, I, I gotta get

Brandan (02:03:45):
rid of it… out on the homestead.

Adam (02:03:46):
Because now there's evidence of the gu- like, Brittany could totally
frame me, like at any moment and be like,"Yeah, I pulled a gun and shot at me.
Bullets in the couch.
Go, go find it."

Brandan (02:03:54):
Go, go look.

Adam (02:03:55):
No.

Brandan (02:03:57):
All right.
On to Better at Life.
My Better at Life this week is for Evie.
And, I, I got word fromEvie's dad that your Pick 'Em
League overlord received her GCSEexam results, here recently.
he says, "I'm not quite sure theequivalent in the US, the exams that

(02:04:17):
you would do at 16 y- years old.
And in England, the highest gradeyou can receive is a grade nine.
Across the 10 subjects shestudied, she received six grade
nines and four grade eights.
She worked except- And that's why

Adam (02:04:31):
she's your overlord, people.

Brandan (02:04:32):
Exactly.

Adam (02:04:33):
Right there.

Brandan (02:04:33):
Uh-huh.
She worked exceptionally hard fromaround Christmas revising and doing
practice papers, plus all the practicalset designs and construction for her
drama GC- GCSE, along with all herregular schoolwork and volunteering
coaching at a junior football,put soccer in parentheses, club.
thank you for us Americans.

(02:04:54):
Yeah.
soccer club to help her gainher Silver Duke of Edinburgh award
one of the five youngest peoplein all of the UK to achieve this.
Wow.
She is now enrolled to do her A-levelsof maths, English literature, history
and politics starting in September.
For me, without a doubt, betterat life than Skip Bayless.

(02:05:15):
Congratulations to our overlord, Evie.

Adam (02:05:18):
That's ridiculously amazing.
Like, congratulations to her.
And, it just shows you just howmulti-talented our overlord and savior is.
Yeah.
Is, yeah, like, nowafter hearing that, like, clearly
smarter than me, clearly betterthan me, clearly e- everything.
So yeah, overlord

Brandan (02:05:37):
and savior.
Future host of the Sea Hawkers Podcast.

Adam (02:05:39):
That's right. Yeah, yeah, just, open your
inbox right around July, Evie.
that's when you'll get your invite.

Brandan (02:05:45):
Start, start watching the games this season, though.
I, you know.

Adam (02:05:48):
I don't know.
She could still be better and not do

Brandan (02:05:53):
it.
Like, like…
I, I don't know.

Adam (02:05:56):
I'm just saying, the, the bar for me is not exactly the highest.

Brandan (02:06:00):
Don't sell yourself short.
Like, I- Yeah… I, I never giveyou homework, and, it sounds
like, you know, no, Evie doesn'tneed anyone telling her to do
homework either, so okay, maybe.
Maybe I've talked myself into it.
That's right.

Adam (02:06:12):
High achiever.
Hey, look, you know, between herand our, our buddy Wilson, who I'm
convinced is gonna be a future president-

Brandan (02:06:19):
Oh

Adam (02:06:19):
yeah… like, sounds like Evie's on prime minister track.
Like, we're gonna have some hookups.
This is gonna be great, because I'mnot rich enough to buy a politician.
I just need them to be my buddies.

Brandan (02:06:29):
Yeah.
The next…
They just need to be the nextbillionaire, s- to achieve
billionaire status so they can then, buy the team from the Coastal family
when it's, it's time for them- Oh,yeah… to, to double up their money.

Adam (02:06:43):
That's pretty good.
That's pretty good, and then make us theofficial podcast of the Seattle Seahawks
with no oversight or requirements.

Brandan (02:06:52):
That's part of our contract.
We require that.
Yeah.
No, no oversight.

Adam (02:06:56):
Or requirements.
Requirements.
yeah.
You, you're not gonna manage my time.
That's not happening.
That's a

Brandan (02:07:01):
good point.

Adam (02:07:01):
Yeah.

Brandan (02:07:02):
All right.
Okay… who do yougot for Better at Life?

Adam (02:07:04):
That was awesome, too, by the way, and, appreciate you
and Evie for writing in this week.
my Better at Life than SkipBayless this week is for somebody
who's currently employed by theSeattle Seahawks, and hopefully is
until he gets bored of just kickingass as a GM, but for John Schneider.
look, this off-season is reallythe biggest challenge in all of

(02:07:24):
GMing, taking a championship rosterand moving it forward and trying to
build a dynasty, and got so closelast time we had that opportunity
and has learned some valuable lessons.
And I just think his stewardship throughthis off-season between ownership
transfers and roster management andcoaching hires and all of that, man

(02:07:51):
this has probably been one of theoff-seasons that I have been the most
lockstep with, John Schneiderin his decision-making process.
Mm-hmm.
And it makes it easy to be a fanof this team, because everything he
does is- Just it's smart, it's, it'srooted in, being a good person
and doing the right thing, right?

(02:08:12):
And there's so much of thatwithin his tenure here as GM.
The way that he treats players, likewe heard him at the podium here
after cutdown day, and you've heardhim talk over the years about this
but just how compassionate he is aboutthat day and trying to make sure that
you know, even if you're not gonna bewith the team, that we've showcased

(02:08:35):
you enough and give you opportunitiesand really take care of people.
And the culture that he has createdaround the building, that him and
Pete really dialed up, and then bringingin Mike, and then obviously winning
another Super Bowl, and just kicking buttthis off-season, in my opinion, as a GM.

(02:08:55):
He's amazing.
I love John Schneider, and he isbetter at life than Skip Bayless to me.

Brandan (02:09:02):
Yeah.
When, you know, it was, it was touchand go a little bit there a couple
years ago whether or not- Mm-hmm… he,he would remain, especially as
m- you know, usually when youtransition from a coach, you tend
to see a transition from GM as well.
And so for him to then make that,win a Super Bowl, come back, and

(02:09:22):
now have an opportunity to,you know, be, one of the…
Let's see.
It would be the ninthfranchise to go back to back.
Yeah… if the Seahawks can goahead and get it done this year, which
you know, as a season expectation show,I, I think the expectation is there
to go ahead and, and- Yeah… getthat done and be that ninth franchise.

Adam (02:09:44):
And probably, but just off the top of my head
only two since 2000, right?
Patriots, Chiefs?

Brandan (02:09:48):
Patriots, Chiefs.
Those would be the two.

Adam (02:09:51):
Yeah.
So I, I just think he's has us set upin a way that makes it not only like
a plausible thing to go back and backto back, but I think highly likely.
I genuinely do.
And, part of that is, is that I feellike when you try to buy a Super Bowl

(02:10:12):
like the stupid [bleep] Rams did Itusually blows up in your face, and I can't
wait to watch it happen to these jokers

Brandan (02:10:21):
I am looking forward to watching it blow up in the
in the face of the, of the Rams.
And, you know, we just have to letthe substation do its thing in Niner
Land, 'cause, we've, we, we've

Adam (02:10:33):
seen- Just keep sending that electricity up and down, substation.
Just keep doing it

Brandan (02:10:36):
Man, it's been a whi- I, I was thinking about it, and when we did our
Know Your Rival episode of the Niners,the, the craziest thing we talked about
was Brandon Aiyuk, that situation.
And-

Adam (02:10:51):
Yeah

… Brandan (02:10:51):
ever since that, that happened, we've seen Kyle Shanahan
try and cover up a car accident.

Adam (02:10:58):
Right

Brandan (02:10:58):
we've seen, w- what other…
They, they've dealt withother, injury issues-

Adam (02:11:05):
Yeah.

Brandan (02:11:05):
They-… since then

… Adam (02:11:06):
bunch of dudes already hurt.
Like- Bunch of dudes… Mike Adams missedsome practice, like all that stuff, right?

Brandan (02:11:11):
Yeah, and then they have this other dude who, who showed up
and, and scammed a bunch of women th-by saying that he is a, a Niner player.
I know his last name'sLove, because the, the reason why…
the, another reason why it hitmy radar is because I guess one of
this guy's post was, that he saidhe was cousins with both Julian Love

(02:11:35):
and Jordan Love, and, yeah- Well-
D- Dejon Love is the,is the guy for the Niners.
And, it's, it's, it'sunfortunate that he, he scammed all
these ladies, and, I don't, Idon't like how necessarily he's been…

(02:11:55):
I don't know.
people are overly promotinghim, which is weird to me, on
social media, which just- And

Adam (02:12:01):
defending?
Like promoting and defending him?

Brandan (02:12:03):
Not defending, but, like, they think it's pretty funny that…
Because there's otherplayers that are like…
A- and I think it's just promotinghow ridiculous it was, because he's
he had on his socials, like, him in aNiners helmet, like, out on the beach
catching passes, and it was clear thathe's, like, not NFL caliber by, his-

(02:12:28):
his route running or hispass catching talents.
But, yeah, it, i- it's a, it's abummer that he scammed a bunch of people.
So he, and then he, and- But it's alsohilarious that it's, that he was doing
it posing as a, an injured Niners player.

Adam (02:12:44):
Yeah.
That's crazy.
Just add another, wild instanceonto the stack of things that have
happened to the, Bay Area 49ers.

Brandan (02:12:56):
Can't wait to watch that team go down, but I guess maybe, we can
root for them week one in, defeatingthe Rams over in, Aussie land.

Adam (02:13:05):
For sure.
Cardinals or Niners,more wins this year?

Brandan (02:13:12):
I think the, no, the Niners still have more wins than the Cardinals.

Adam (02:13:14):
Are we sure?

Brandan (02:13:16):
Yeah, I'm pretty sure.

Adam (02:13:16):
This has, this has been one of those disaster distraction off-seasons.
I- And they're old

… Brandan (02:13:22):
they're, they've weathered so many dang storms there in Niner land
that I, I feel like they're, they'restill gonna win seven games at least.

Adam (02:13:30):
I mean, maybe.
I, I, I see a path to afour-win year for these guys.
I do.

Brandan (02:13:37):
Oh, that would be fun I, that, that just to me feels like homer optimism.
But I, I will accept it ifthat's what we end up receiving.

Adam (02:13:44):
This is a homer [bleep] podcast.
This is by twelves, four twelves.
Yeah, man.
Niners win four games.
Like Rams overachieve in theregular season, they get spanked
in the playoffs by us again,and Sean McVay cries himself to

Brandan (02:13:57):
sleep.
We're also a realistic homer podcast inthat we, we make accurate predictions
and how can I ever predict more lossesb- from a Niners team than a Cardinals
team who we've been conditionedto watch stink for so many years?

Adam (02:14:12):
Because, I think this, like, Kyle Shanahan thing is a big deal.
Oh, not to mention, you forgot tomention that their owner, Jed York
went to a trailer park to sleep witha $140 prostitute and got fricking
busted because he's getting divorced.
Like, just go, go pay a high-end hooker.
Whoa

Brandan (02:14:31):
whoa.
I think that we're also making sure thatwe get, the details accurate in this.
It…
She…
It was $160 hooker, Adam.
Oh

Adam (02:14:38):
okay.
Yeah, exactly.
Not that I have anything, against trailer parks.
Lived a lot of my lifein trailer parks, man.
They're not-

Brandan (02:14:44):
We, we don't…
See, the trailer…
I don't know if you saw this, butthe trailer park was standing up
for itself saying that, "This is notthe type of trailer park we are."
That's right.
"This is just where it justhappened to be the trailer park
where the police set up the sting."
The trailer park- Right… management was not impressed with
the idea that this was the area thatthey were directing Jed York to.

Adam (02:15:04):
That's right.
it, they also claimedthat this happened, just
outside the trailer park- Sure
at one point.
So sure, maybe, I don't know.
But oh my God, what anembarrassing freaking off season.
What's John Lynch's scandal gonna be?
Because we've got, you know, Jed York,we got- Yeah… Kyle with a coverup.
What, what's JohnLynch's scandal gonna be?

(02:15:25):
The

Brandan (02:15:25):
the substation- Is he

Adam (02:15:25):
gonna be in a crypto scam or something?

Brandan (02:15:27):
coming for him next.

Adam (02:15:29):
Golly, what a joke show of an organization.
Four wins.

Brandan (02:15:33):
Okay, I'm on board.
Yeah.
A- after the Jed York reminder,yeah, maybe even three.

Adam (02:15:39):
Have you seen his mugshot, his sad billionaire mugshot?

Brandan (02:15:42):
I, I saw some people commenting that maybe the worst look
was the, was him a- against theheight, j- you know, being 5'8".

Adam (02:15:50):
Well, that's why you have to pay.
But, Yeah, it, it was hilarious.
It, it truly is.
Brought a lot of joy to my heart.
You know what?
Maybe we should make the Ninershonorary Better At Life this week
for bringing so much joy to myoff season with their misery.
And I think with that- There'sonly one thing left to say
go Hawks.
Go Hawks.

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know

Dateline NBC

The Bobby Bones Show

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}505: Seattle Seahawks 2026 Season Expectations

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}Stuff You Should Know

Dateline NBC

The Bobby Bones Show

All Episodes

505: Seattle Seahawks 2026 Season Expectations

Stuff You Should Know