January 6, 2026 • 48 mins
Ben Goessling in studio on the Vikings for most of the middle stretch on the Vikings, then some truncated news!
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Speaker 1 (00:14):
Quishing a happy birthday to our national treasure PA. I
want to thank you very much, Pa for all you've
shared with us on the radio for the last several
decades and wishing you many happy years to come. We
appreciate all you do and the way you call plays
on the games, the way you share your stories and
you bring your relationships with coaches and players to the
(00:35):
radio between nine and noon.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Happy birthday, Thank you, Ben.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
I was going to share with you I'm not leaving
k F A n like under today it's my birthday
in order to have a trick up this lead with
the talkback machine. People are very very kind, and that's
what's going on right now. Harpy birthday, Good morning.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
There was a moment there where you were you were
talking last segment, and it was good to hear it.
You know you still as much this long into it,
you still love calling Vikings games. I'm like this like
a Harrison Smith conversation that started here after twenty four years.
I just want to let it I still love calling
the game.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
I'm just I'm just happy the team here at KFAN
and iHeart and or with the Vikings Entertainment Network or
the family in the press box at Canterbury Park, that
they're not paining me into a corner where I feel
like I have to retire because of everything that like
with Harrison Smith, and like he said with Ben when
(01:34):
we played that back yesterday, the excellent Nacho interview where
he's kind of like, well, I kind of feel like
I have to do it.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Yeah, he said, I feel like I'm at my funeral. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
That's when he said the locker room of the game,
after all the pomp and circumstances, you know.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
So now, man, that's just a very Harrison Smith thing
to say, I feel like I'm at my funeral felt
very appropriate for Harry.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Ben Gaslin at Ben Geslin via x follow him if
you are so inclined. Standard Heating and Air coming to
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(02:14):
Ben Gesling with The Star Tribune joining nine to noon
and a bumper to bumper with Barrero Standard Heating Dot
com Standard Heating dot com. If you want to help
those who help us, So let's begin here. If your
former Browns coach Kevin Stevanski and the Giants want you,
should that be the next stop? Given Cleveland is let
(02:35):
him go in good.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Morning, good morning. Yeah. I would think that he's going
to have some things to pick through, I would imagine,
and I would think that given what he went through
in Cleveland, specifically with the quarterback position, that I would
want to go somewhere where I knew that I was
either going to have a chance to pick one I
wanted or that there was already one there. So the
(03:00):
ion's chop would probably depend on how you feel about
Jackson Dart yep, or your chance to take one in
this draft. If Jackson Dart's not your guy, I would
imagine Tennessee if you are interested in that job, because
cam Woard is already there. It probably depends on how
you feel about caim Ward. But I would think that
it would depend a lot for him on the quarterback
(03:21):
situation and how he's going to feel about that, because
I just I don't think when you're going through this
for a second time, you know there's probably not going
to be a third chance, I mean a second chance.
This fast is a reflection of how people feel about him,
which you and I both covered him and know him
well enough to know that that's legitimate. I mean, he
is really good at what he does and he's very
well respected. So the fact that he came out of
(03:43):
that and well on he won two Coaches of the
Year there, which is more than a lot of teams
have done in Cleveland. Her coaches has done in Cleveland,
I should say, but you're probably not getting a third shot,
so the second one has to be one. I think
that you are pretty precise about knowing exactly what you're
walking into and how sustainable can this be for me?
So I think a lot of that is going to
(04:03):
have to do with the quarterback and if he feels
good about Jackson Darter, where they could get one, I mean,
picking as high as they are in this draft. It
depends on what you think of this draft class. But
I think a lot of his decision has to hinge
on that because that will have a lot to do
with how successful you are as the coach, depending on
what the quarterback situation looks like.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
If you are a general manager, team president, or team
owner running one of these squads that all.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Of a sudden as an opening.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Yeah, and you know, you know more about the inner
workings of what's going to take place in the National
Football League than even scribes or announcers. What I'm getting
that here is I do believe there is a chance
if Green Bay lays the proverbial leg Matt Lafleur, they'll
move on for Matt laflor Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
I'm just I'm gut vibing that.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
So therefore, Cleveland, Atlanta and the Giants setting up interviews
with Kevin right now, would you? And I believe at
least one of them will do this? Yeah, this here, okay,
and this number here, which is fat, this is in
front of you for the next forty eight hours, and
if you don't sign it, it won't be there after
(05:13):
certain teams play Saturday, Sunday and Monday. So a version,
in other words, of what happened in Minnesota to get
Kevin Stefanski to Minnesota. Oh yeah, the Vikings said to
Brad Schilders, we're not letting you get on the plane
to Green Bay. And Brad Childress, of course, brought Kevin
Stefanski with him from Philly to Minnesota.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
That's right. Yeah, so the similarities there.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Would you do that if you were Joe Shane or
if you were the part of the Mara family. You
own the Giants, you got a quarterback you think you like. Yep,
you got Scataboo and the way he plays, and you
got Malik Neighbors coming back. You got Abdul Carter showed
a pulse at the end of the year, right, and
you got good draft back Burns yet Brian Burns too
off what he did with all those sacks. I mean,
(05:55):
if I run that team, I would have to say, look,
we're not trying to be bleep poles here, right, We're
running a business man. And we know if Green Bay
offers up a dub, that guy could be gone. Tomlin
may retire, so there may Harbaugh may retire. He's not
in the playoffs, but nevertheless he may retire. So there
could be some more perceived desirable situations. That's why we
(06:19):
want you to either sign this now because if you don't,
it won't be there in two days.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Yeah. I think, knowing the timing of things, it makes
sense to play aggressively because I do think he's going
to be in demand. The Packers job, I think would
be attractive to a lot of coaches because you know,
the main thing is you're not dealing with an owner
every you know, every time anything happens. There's not somebody
that's kind of going knee jerk on things. And there's
(06:44):
good owners and bad owners and everything in between in
the NFL, but you don't deal with that in that
particular situation, and you know that there's already a quarterback there.
I mean, it depends probably how you feel about Jordan Love.
There's different theories on that, but it is structurally a
pretty attractive job. Yeah. So always better, yes, and it
will continue to be that, I think, as long as
(07:05):
that team is kind of doing things the way it's
done them. So if you're another team, and I think
the Giants it's one of those legacy ownership groups. The
Steelers are certainly the same thing, and I think those
make those attractive jobs as well. So if you're the Giants,
you could say, hey, this is a good situation. We've
won four Super Bowls. We've won recently and the it's
(07:27):
not just going back to the Parcels era. We've won
with Tom Coughlin. We have been a competitive organization. We
want to continue to be that. We think this is
a place you can come in and win and be
very successful. We know you're going to have offers. Yeah,
I think there would be an argument to make to say,
let's play kind of try to make the hard sell
and knowing that there's going to be teams that want
(07:47):
to talk to him, try to lock them up.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
I would agree. I think they want to make the
hard sell. Does that work with Stefanski though, I would?
I mean, in the end question if Joe Shane, who
should be counting as lucky stars, I can't believe he's
still the GM of the Giants with how the last
several years and a couple coaching changes have gone. He
should be counting his lucky stars. He's gonna say, hey,
you got until Saturday night and Stefans is like all right.
(08:11):
I mean, I just feel like Stefanski's at a spot
where there is if he is so in demand that
the leverage piece can work both ways. Where in the end,
if Joe Shane really truly believes in him to the
point where he wants to get him before he gets
in the door with anybody else and has another interview.
I would feel like STEFANSI, if you really want me
that job, will still be here on Monday.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Happy to chat with you later this week. We'll do lunch,
the whole thing.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
Yeah, Jackson Dart not sure about him, but I feel
confident in my scheme and the whole thing. Here's what
I want, Here's what I would do. But yeah, I
got till Monday. No, I know we need to hear
from you before set. Nope, I'll talk to you Monday.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
And I just think if he is in demand as
it feels like he would be, and there'll be other
offensive coordinator names and some people that maybe we haven't
even really thought about or heard of that emerge as
hot candidates this cycle.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
That'll happen.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
But I just feel like Stefanski should be in a
really positive spot that if he wants to sit for
a year and spend that haslum cash with the leftover
on the contract, or if he wants to jump right
back in, it kind of feels like he can he
can pick his destiny in that regard.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Yeah, the cash is an interesting question too, because is
their offset language to that cash. Probably I would assume
I think there usually is offset language and coach contracts.
And you also have Rooney Rule requirements to meet there
too if you're the Giants, so that could be part
of the timetable too. How can they go fast enough
to do that when you've got to, I think do
two interviews to satisfy the Liberty rule requirements at least so,
(09:42):
And I would think that's a team given where they
factored in the Brian Flores situation, that probably is going
to say we need to make sure we are doing
things the right way yep this time. So that's all
worth considering as part of this conversation. But yeah, I
think it does come down to who feels like they
have more leverage, who feels like they need to move faster.
That's probably how these things get determined.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
Does the Raiders opening make things for Brian Flores more
interesting given the Tom Brady tie and the top pick
in the draft.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
I mean I would think it would. The Brady tie
certainly is going to be one that matters, and I
think this came up a little bit yesterday too, But
Brian Flores is probably going to have his best chances
in a place where people know him the good, the bad,
everything in between. And are able to shift past the
(10:35):
narratives that they've read. I mean, there's been a Brian
Flores has been in the news a lot over the
last few years for any number of different reasons, from
how he exited Miami to the lawsuit to what he's
done in Minnesota. So you have a lot to sift
through in the course of an interview. And if you're
somebody that already knows him and has a relationship with
him and kind of knows everything that you're getting from
(10:58):
one side of the spectrum to the other, I think
that does make a lot of sense. So Brady, in
the fact that those two have worked together as long
as they have and obviously have a lot of respect
for one another because they've had a lot of success together,
I think that makes that an attractive situation. The question,
I think would be if you're picking first and you're
the Raiders, I mean, Brady's probably going to make the
(11:20):
call in the quarterback. I would think Brady's going to
have a lot to say about that. But are you
saying Brian Flores is going to be the guy that
develops this quarterback? I mean, that's going to be a
lot of the question for them. Whoever comes in saying
if we're picking one number one, and they wouldn't this
isn't a great quarterback class, they wouldn't have to do that.
But you have to have somebody that comes in with
a plan for that position, because they have been as
(11:42):
lost at that position as anybody in the NFL. And
that has a lot to do with the fact that
they've gone through coaches as much as they have because
they haven't won. So I think a lot of it
for them comes down to that and the question of
if your Flores, do you have a plan to relate
to your quarterback better? Then it went to a talk
about low on Miami. Do you have a offensive coordinator
(12:02):
in mind that you'd bring in to develop this quarterback.
I'm sure he's got a long rollodex of people. I
can think of some names from the Vikings that may
make some sense, or a name in Jacksonville that's not
calling plays that has shown he can develop quarterbacks that
is currently their offensive coordinator as well. But I think
a lot of the Flores discussion will come down to
what do you plan to do with the quarterback position.
(12:24):
I think it's an attractive job because of the relationship
with Brady. But you know, I keep coming. I sound
like a broken record, but I think this all comes
back to quarterbacks. Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
Now Matt Eber flews out as defensive coordinator for the Cowboys,
this would be a lateral move for Brian. Yeah, and
you can put the assistant head coach, the associate head
coach tag on to make it look like it's not
a lateral move, but it would be.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Yep. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
I mean, I might be burned by this, but I
put this near zero, near a zero percenter. I think
they're talent por on defense. Yeah, Dunn Williams is good,
but he's in the second half of his career. Kenny
Clark's almost done. You got no Michael Parsons. I like
the safeties a little Donov Wilson, but he's been around
for a while. I just think it's a talent poor
group over there in a mercurial situation because of the
(13:13):
owner who's the general manager, right, And it still bugs
me that he speaks before the coach after games, yeah,
and kind of analyzes you just can't do it that way.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
So what do you think of the Dallas deal? Well,
I mean, yeah, a lot of what you laid out there,
I think is valid that they have a lot of
things to figure out. Defensively, I think the fact that
they'll have some picks because they get the Packers first,
I think, at least for trying to remember the terms
of that deal. But they got a lot of picks
in that Michael Parsons deal with the Packers. Those aren't
going to be high picks, but they are extra draft capital.
(13:42):
It's an extra chance to get players in that top
one hundred, which everybody wants. So it's an interesting position
because it's Jerry Jones, which means that then the money
will be there, and I think the Vikings would put
the money there for him as well, but you'd have
that whole piece of thing. But then it's also he's enjoyed.
I think the fact in Minnesota that he gets a
(14:05):
lot of say in the defensive players that come in.
There is a level of hey, we will give you
some latitude to tell us what you want, tell us
what you think would fit, and we'll go get it
that in Dallas, is that going to go the same way?
I mean, if Jerry Jones sees it differently, or Steven
Jones sees it differently. Are you going to have that
(14:26):
same level of autonois? Yeah, yeah, I mean I wonder
about that. So it could be attractive, I think in
the sense of it's the Cowboys, there's gonna be money there,
all of those things. But the way he's been able
to do the job in Minnesota I think would change
pretty drastically if he were to try to do the
(14:47):
same thing in Dallas. Would you bet Flores leaves or Stays, Boy,
I would say probably more stays than Leaves. I'd probably
like sixty forty on this because I I'm about seventy
five to twenty five stays. Yeah, yeah, I mean I
go sixty forty, just because I think the fact that
he waited this out was for a reason, and I
(15:09):
think he does have a lot of intention to say,
let's see what the market looks like, and that could
have a lot to do with where he ends up.
But we'll see how that market shakes out for him,
and I think he may look at it and say,
there's a lot of things in Minnesota that I have
that I like. I like working with Kevin O'Connell. I
like the way that I get to shape the defense,
(15:31):
how I want. I mean that level of autonomy, like
you say, I mean what he did these last three
years was not There was no precedent for that schematically
in the NFL. It was a total out of left
field kind of thing, and say, I'm going to basically
take what Pat and Ardoozy did at pitt Yeah, adapted
to the NFL, and Kevin O'Connell like, yeah, great, go
(15:53):
for it. If you want to do what I trust you.
I mean that level of just in annuity and that
level of kind of total out of the box thinking
on what they did defensively. I'm not sure how many
places as a defensive coordinator you'd get that level of latitude.
And it worked spectacularly well, and you've seen teams start
(16:14):
to copy it the understanding of yes, you ken blitz
this aggressively and not get burned in coverage. I think
we've seen some of that change around the NFL as
a result of the Vikings showing it to be done.
So maybe it's not as big of a leap anymore,
but just the principle of saying we are going to
trust you to do this and build the defense with
the people you want to make it happen. That is
(16:35):
a unique thing, and that may be a lot of
what gets in back here. I'm sure it's going to
be part of the conversation that Kevin O'Connell has had
with him of Hey, we give you a lot of
that here, and would you have that everywhere else? I
don't know, so that may have a lot to do
with what happens here too.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Quacy and Kevin have thee have their season recap presser Thursday.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Yep. Do you think we'll let Flora's clarity by then?
I think that's the hope. Yeah, And I think they'd
like to have that wrapped up by that point that
it's the same kind of thing where they are. The
advantage they have right now is time because unless he
takes a head coaching job, I don't believe he can
talk to other teams until ten days after the season.
(17:16):
That's typical. I don't know the language in his contract specifically,
but that's typically how this works with coaches is there's
a ten day exclusive negotiating window for your current team
before you can go onto the market. Head coaching things
obviously change all of that. If he gets head coaching interviews,
he can take those at any point. But I think
the Vikings would try to move quickly because they have
(17:37):
this exclusive negotiating window at this point. So it depends
probably does he actually want to go out and talk
to other teams about defensive coordinator jobs? Does he want
to wait to the point where that happens, and you
run the risk I suppose of the Vikings saying all right,
then we have to consider our options too, and if
that's not, you know, that's the risk you take. So
(17:59):
I think they like to have it done. My gut
would be that it's not just because I wonder how
much of a negotiation they're still going to be. I
know that would certainly be. They like to be able
to be at that podium Thursday and say, yeah, this
is done and we're excited to have him here for
the next several years.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
I make McCarthy heavily favored to start Week one next season.
Do you see it that way? Like I'm like minus
seven minus eight hundred, boy. I mean, I do believe
that entities will be individuals will be brought in. Yeah, yeah,
But I can't I just can't get myself over the
hump to think that so and so will be brought
in to compete, Yeah, for the job.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
The big reason Daniel Jones left, right, Yeah? I mean
I think it's going to depend on what you promise people,
because I think part of the reason Daniel Jones obviously
left it was not the money, like the money was
there from the Vikings, it was I think I have
a better chance to win this job in Indianapolis than
I do in Minnesota.
Speaker 4 (18:56):
Well they were honest with them, they were, but we
want to go with j Jay. That's we're going to
support him, correct, see ya? And has that changed?
Speaker 2 (19:04):
I mean if they were to have that same conversation
with Daniel Jones or anybody else this march, would that
be said the same way. That's where I wonder a
little bit. But I do think that the cash they're
going to put into it is going to be limited
because they don't have a ton of cap space. I
don't think you're going to go out and pay a
quarterback market level money to compete with JJ McCarthy. If
(19:28):
you're bringing somebody in, it's somebody who's going to start,
and in that case, you're probably trying to trade JJ
McCarthy and not having that battle back and forth. If
you're talking about somebody making, you know, not market level money,
then that person's not going to necessarily have a claim
on the job, which means it is going to be
a competition, which means that person that you bring in
probably has something of a ceiling. So that I think
(19:49):
would play McCarthy's favor. He's been in the system. I
think the hope would be that he continues to develop,
continues to mature. We've seen a lot of need for that.
But a lot of this will depend on how aggressive
they get. And that's why I think it's more likely
than not that he's starting, because I the other thing
is they understand that this stuff takes a while, and
(20:10):
this stuff is not going to be solved in ten starts.
But you also have to have some options because he
has to be better than he was this year. There's
just no way around that way.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
So back to Flores to close here with Brian, you know,
and Nine to Noon. As has discussed as quite a bit,
it will take a certain type of owner.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Okay, so the Rooney family.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
Yep, Mark Davis, Bob Kraft, maybe Arthur Blank to a
certain extent, Jerry Jones. It would take a certain type
of owner that has Jennie Quah would not be the
right have a swash buckling side to them where it's like, well,
we don't care about the law. No, yeah, we don't
care that you think refs are going to drop more
(20:53):
flags in our games because of these lawsuits and we
hired this guy. We don't care about that subterfuge, you know.
So it's Vegas when I say seventy five twenty five.
Most of it for me is that Las Vegas job is.
If Flores were to be hired as a spot coach,
I think that would be the spot because they can
(21:13):
get a quarterback, whether people like Mendoza or not, they
can draft a quarterback. They have Max Crosby. He's shown
what he can do with perceived middling individuals, middling players,
and the Davis family forever has rolled that way. So yes,
that's kind of where you know, I cast my gaze
(21:34):
if he were to get a head coaching job.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
You think that Mayor is an iconoclassic streak in the
Davis family that I think would probably play into this.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Yes, I think that that, plus the relationship with Brady
does make sense. Ben Gaslin' Star Tribune Star Tribune dot Com.
Thank you Standard Heating and Air. When we return, Nordo
is going to guide us through a Vikings free agent
related segment we think you'll like. It's ten thirty, Good morning,
it's nine to nine.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
You're listening to the fan.
Speaker 5 (22:15):
Happy birthday, Pa, another year on the clock.
Speaker 6 (22:18):
Boom, and you're still delivering legendary calls that echo across
Vikings Nation Man from kickoff to the final horn, your
voice brings the purple to life, wishing you a birthday
filled with big plays, great health, and nothing but victory
is ahead.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Skull, Amen, thank you, it's no good again. Get the
hell out of here.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
Brian missed it, put eleft again and the Bikings only
lead by two. Come on, so it's it's too early
to ponder what they potentially have up their sleeves for
a veteran.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Backup, right, I think so? Yeah, I mean, we just
see what the market looks like. It's ridiculous. I even
asked that question.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
But what's not ridiculous is Nordo has a list of
Vikings free agents, and these are quick twitch reactions with
the right to change things after it gets steamy at
the combine for you, more so than me, and then
up to free agency and the draft and stuff like this.
But Ben and I are going to respond with either
(23:27):
like the player returns, the player is gone, or pass
because we're not sure you okay with that?
Speaker 2 (23:35):
All right?
Speaker 4 (23:35):
So we have a total of nineteen names here by now.
Most of them will be on UFAs, and then a
couple are restricted and then some exclusive rights.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
You guys, get all that yelling for me is going
to be not to hedge enough and say, well, it
could be this, it could be that it's time for
us to get through all nineteen of these before the break.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
I'll save some of the more emotionally charged, indoor equity
laden names towards the bottom, but we're going to start here.
Jeff Acuda, the reclamation project didn't necessarily go as plan.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
He's a UFA gone gone, yep.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
Tavier Thomas, Tavier Thomas, all special teams and filling in
where he can get in. Tavier Thomas led them in
special teams tackles.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
I'd say gone. I could see him back on a
cheap deal just because of the special team stuff. So
I'll save him back cheaply.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Yeah, I could say back, It's I'm not saying that
you can, you know, find a Tavier Thomas at every
seven to eleven copyright Mike Zimmer, Right. But nevertheless, he
you know he Tavierre Thomas because so few had heard
of him. It's actually been in the league like seven
or eight years.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
He has been.
Speaker 3 (24:40):
Yeah, so previous with the Bucks maybe yeah, the Cardinals
for sure, Maybe the Bucks, maybe the Panthers. But he's
been around, He's been around the block. So if he
I'm quite fond of him. I hope he returns very
good at what he does. But you just never know
what that spot.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
Justin's School having to fill in. Of course, we added
him for insurance with the Darrisaw injury, and it was
tough to go. Had some good moments middle maybe it
just wasn't going to work towards the end. But all
the same, Justin's School being put on the field for
a lot of snaps this year given what we expected.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
I mean, they like their backup tackles, so I would
I mean, can they do better? I think it's the question.
I'm gonna say he's back with the possibility that I
say he's back, because they want to staff that position.
The heads there is do they find somebody else to
do it.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna pass because I honestly
have no idea.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
Yeah, but when when Eric went down.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
That road, my first thought was, all right, well, before
figuring out what you're going to do with school, you
better get squared away. Was seventy one. I mean because
the inn and the out and the ten plays and
then then ir out of nowhere.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
Yeah, maybe not game day workouts. The whole thing unknown
was a problem, so that that has to be squared away.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
Yes, Ron more technically is the UFA, but sadly due
to injury, never really was here in totality gone. I
think gone, Ryan right plus size punter. We need him
back only extension, Yeah he had. I think he's back.
He had a great year, fantastic year. Of all the
QB names that will pop up, we'll be asked more
than once about the NDSU cat Carson Wentz. Carson Wentz
(26:21):
shoulder is going to be healthy maybe enter twenty twenty six,
and maybe that's an answer.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
A full off seat veteran backup. Yeah, was mostly fine, right.
Speaker 3 (26:33):
You know, plays through pain clearly full off season. Really yes,
likes it here, right, I mean that's I have to pass,
because I think they're gonna sniff around, right, a bunch
of other options yep, including potentially some very high end
options yep.
Speaker 4 (26:50):
From a sniff around standpoint right, all those fans in
the seven to one they bought the number eleven Jerseys.
I mean, gosh, we're mean an investment.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
If he came back as the backup quarterback, I wouldn't
be surprised and I wouldn't be offended.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
No, I think if you decide we need somebody that's
a veteran that is not necessarily straight out fifty to
fifty competition with JJ McCarthy, but can get us through
if needed. Now that he's had time in the scheme, yeah,
I think I could get down with that. I will
also pass, but I will I would not be surprised
if he's back under the circumstances we just laid out.
(27:24):
I like the way he ben put that. I can
get down with that. We need to get down with
that too. We need to keep the battery in place, right,
so Depaula. Can we get another year of elite long
snapping from Depaula? He wants to be here old, Yes, Yeah,
he's in if he wants to be.
Speaker 4 (27:37):
I think Matt Nelson reserve tackle, wasn't really familiar with
his activities. Brett ripping the in and out aspect of
the QB. Can we say gone on that? I think
gone gone. Ty Chandler interesting name or maybe not interesting.
It is an interesting name because he's fast. O'Connell adores him,
he's very good on special teams.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
He's got some kick return to him. They got Miles Price.
So what are we looking at here with Jones? Like
Jones future because of the injuries and where he is
in his career.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
And the money he's expensive. Visit void years, but they
could save some money. It's one more year like eleven
or twelve. Maybe, Yeah, there's void years, so you can
mess with the cap number if you want to, But
then you're kicking money down the road, which I say,
I say ty Chandler back return. I think I will
say that as well because of the special teams and
(28:29):
they have put a lot of time into him, that
the past protection has been the issue. But if they
feel like, hey there's enough upside here, maybe that he's
helping as the running back a little, but certainly the
special teams because if you lose, you're gonna Lucy j Ham,
Tavi or Thomas if he's going to like, you need
special teams, people you can trust. So yeah, I think
he's back. Yeah. Ive In Pace is an interesting one.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
Lose restricted, unrestracted, no excuse me, restricted.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
Mut if you put the rite of first refusal on
him's an undrafted free agents so you don't have draft
back compensation tied to it. I think they gone. I
would tend to go that way as well. I could
see them putting that tag on him and saying somebody
else go take him. I think if if you take
all of the how do they feel about him stuff,
(29:17):
if you just go on that basis, I think he's
probably going.
Speaker 5 (29:19):
Well.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
The layering of it with zero is fascinating because the
guy who took his job well, I mean he had
by far the best season of his life. Yes, and
you know when Duverney got that season changing kick return.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Yes, if you believe.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
Ivan Pace Junior was the major culprit who went free
will on it and outside of the plan and I
kind of changed the season. And then you look at
his snap counts. Yeah, moving forward where they diminished greatly,
the team will have to get past that moment. Yes,
they'll have to just cost them the division. And let's
(29:59):
be clear, as it were doubt across in the division.
It well, I mean that's assuming the other games win. Yeah,
it is, they would see the Packers would have played starters.
You're a ninety four and a half percent winner in
that game if you can just stop a kick, right,
and so if you believe that it was his fault
and if they can't get past it, then zero becomes
(30:20):
a zero center.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
Yeah for the old return Ben Simms restricted whatever, I mean,
best of luck to him, but all the same, bull Richter.
Kind of interesting, but not I think I think Ben'll
be on the team. You think Ben Simms will be
I like him.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Yeah, I think they'll.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
I think they'll bring him back for organized team activities.
But yeah, I see what you're saying, bull Richter.
Speaker 4 (30:39):
Maybe a similar spot risk special exclusive rights opportunity chap
back into the rosters back Xavier Scott did he did
he offer enough in his single year as an exclusive
rights to potentially get another another shake at it.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
Exclusive rights sealers are so cheap.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
I'm gonna say yes me too, Jalen Red exclusive rights,
I mean you got we got to do something with
that here when they go to cutting whatever money they save, yeah,
he gets part of.
Speaker 4 (31:09):
It, and he's probably in mind as part of some
of those moves, Yes, that might be taking place.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
At the end here.
Speaker 4 (31:16):
How about this name Jalen Naylor. Jalen Naylor. So I
was thinking about it, and for some reason it popped
in my head when we were talking about this Pa,
the Christian Kirk when he became a free agent out
of nowhere, minimal production at times more than what Jalen
Naylor's offered in Minnesota thus far. But suddenly he's getting
eighteen million dollars a year from the Jags, and until
(31:38):
injuries bid him the last couple of years, he was
actually living up to that. And I don't know what
the you know, sometimes we fall in love with our
draft picks in terms of is it the scheme, is
it the team? Is it the environment that kind of
put him in that spot to thrive? Would he be
so thriving elsewhere? I don't think it's going to be
eighteen a year for Jalen Naylor. Feels like, I mean,
you could get him for seven ish million maybe if
(32:01):
he's going to go market value and free agency. But
he will be unrestricted here pretty quick.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
I think it only takes one team to see what
somebody saw on Christian Kirk. I think that team will
be there. I think he's gone. I think he plays
for the LA Rams next year.
Speaker 4 (32:15):
Oh yeah, and that would if it's a scheme thing,
it's an opportunity thing. It's not a bad spot for him.
I think that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
C J.
Speaker 4 (32:22):
Ham unrestricted lights out, he's retiring, retire there, Yeah, and
we've we've talked about twenty two.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
Will he won't? He may.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
That's still that's still not a zero. But I don't
think it's a zero. I don't think it's it's still
very Flores tied though Flora certain Flores goes to Vegas
as the head coach. Harry ain't going to Vegas. No, No,
He's playing here nowhere. Yeah, right, So, but I still
would say Smith retiring.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
I would too. I think Flora's being back makes it
maybe a little more likely. You could try the like
ye Stefan Gilmour thing where you bring him back in August.
He has to decide he wants to stay in shape
that long, though, I mean, it needs a matter of
saying am I keeping myself in football shape that long?
I'm not sure he's gonna want to do that. I
think he's done. I mean the number of people that
were there Sunday, I think everybody has the belief that
(33:10):
he's done.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
Is hit Man the type of guy that would be
open to that anyway, Like, Hey, if I'm going to
be staying in high end shape, I'm gonna wait till
August to have this conversation. Can I just come back now?
I can use the cryo chamber and the facilities inside,
catch a free meal once in a while in the cafeteria,
Like do you think he'd really just be working out
on his own and twiddling his thumbs and then yeah,
(33:33):
mid August, I'm gonna rejoin the fold is medieval torture
device for him, get his body limbered up.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
Yeah he's done. Yeah, I just don't think he's going
to want to go through OTA's mini campbell. I mean,
the reason he wants to go through the scribe and
everybody asking him, yeah, well wait a second. Those final
two games, it's yeah, like all the bally hood pomping circumstance.
He strikes me as like the vibes on Sunday, and
just knowing him as well as we both do, I
think when he decides to go, he's gonna say, Okay, yeah,
(34:04):
I've closed the door. I'm not doing the will I won't.
I think I think.
Speaker 4 (34:08):
Kind of two years in a row of that too.
I mean it was a bit muted a year ago,
but it was very strong as we heard over the
last days and weeks. Last one here would be Eric Wilson,
which you know part of that is the Ivan Pace conversation, etc.
But Eric Wilson, you know, contract year as it is,
has a career year in Flores' defense plays.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
A guy out of a job and maybe even out
of town.
Speaker 4 (34:32):
Eric Wilson if he was gone, and if they're done
with Ivan Pace, that would leave a pretty nasty hole
there in the linebacking corps for the Vikings defense.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
It would.
Speaker 3 (34:40):
It's one of the better routes Kasia Dolpho has made
by telling him, well, we're gonna double your salary from
what Green Bay was paying you. Because then they moved
into Isaiah McDuffie, who he's fine, but he didn't have
as good a year as Eric Wilson. Eric sitting on
something very very nice into his tenth year.
Speaker 2 (35:01):
Yeah, that move probably did cost him a comp pick
as it worked out, because of the playing time. The
contract in the playing time probably cost them a compick.
But you can't operate, you know, saying well, we might
lose out on this. I mean, he this was a
good problem. This is a Champagne problem, as Quacy or
perhaps Taylor Swift would put it. Yeah, he had a
(35:22):
great year and that made it so that they lose
a compic. But it also made it so that you
had a guy that you really needed. Yeah, he's sitting
on a nice opportunity. The question is did they end
up getting out priced for him? I think he's back
if the number is okay, well, what's okay? Well, I
mean seventeen eighteen tackles for loss with all those sacks,
(35:44):
you know where he It's like when it comes to
Flores defense, what's identifiable that every casual can know what
they do with Harrison Smith, what they do with Van Ginker,
what they do with Grenard Win theo Jackson's in, what's
happening when he's out?
Speaker 3 (35:59):
The Dallas was in you know, so there's Nuance Wilson.
I mean, he just made it's obviously he was important. Yeah,
but I'm not saying that he was the most identifiable thing. Yeah,
on a weekly basis from a splashing standpoint, yet he splashed.
Speaker 7 (36:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
I just mean that unless he gets some team that
throws the bag at him, which you know at age
what thirty one, and I think it's probably not terribly likely.
Speaker 3 (36:23):
So it's got to be five million minimum. Yeah, yeah,
but I think they do it for that. I mean,
I think you can make it work for that. So
unless it's something crazy that he's like, hey, this is
too much money for me to turn out somewhere else, heya,
I think there's a good chance.
Speaker 4 (36:35):
But even that would be like, I mean, like a
two to ten, two and twelve type of frint.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
I think they'd will be the first two year deal
in ten years for him. Yeah, if he were to
get it, which is happy with that first deal? Man
is his signing bonus was ten grand?
Speaker 4 (36:47):
Right?
Speaker 2 (36:47):
He was another free agent and they liked him. Yeah.
I mean even I remember back then talking to like
Jeff Howard and he was like, hey, this is underap
to linebacker from Cincinnati. He's got something to him. And
he had the year with Zimmer where he had a
bunch of picks, yep, but it wasn't like this where
he was this big of a factor. So this is
the best ser of his career.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
Yes, if he leaves, what do you think of Dallas
Turner moving inside with Grenard and Van Ginkle. Now they've
tried Turner inside a little bit. Yeah, his rookie year,
they tried him inside against the Lions. With all due respect,
took Ben Johnson five seconds to figure out where the
bones were bearing, and Dallas didn't see the inside the
rest of the year.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
Right, Ben does that? But what do you think of that?
To close? I don't love it. I mean, I think
his speed off the edge of we we saw it Sunday.
I think that's where you want to use him, and
you have to get him to the point where he's
in every down player there because it also makes it easier.
And then in twenty seven, if those Grenard van Ginkle
numbers get a little high, especially those guys into the thirties,
(37:45):
he's ready to kind of take over one of those spots.
Speaker 4 (37:47):
So I don't like taking those reps off, right. I mean,
when we're looking at the best defensive fronts in the NFL,
you're looking at guys that are there too.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
Deep at each spot, right, So yep.
Speaker 4 (37:55):
Having Turner as that third guy still and hinting at
the idea of being in the top two and evolving,
that'd be nice.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
Yeah, bless you brother, and we're here any Tuesday you
want to stop that, I we'd love to have you
around during the postseason and after that we'll throw caution
to the wind.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
Hang out for your birthday today and my birthday next Tuesday.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
Awesome, come back, come back next Tuesday if you're around, okay,
Ben Gestling Start Tribune, Start tribune dot com. Thank you
Standard Heating and Air Standardheating dot Com.
Speaker 2 (38:23):
Benny is the best. We'll be right there.
Speaker 7 (38:33):
Happy birthday, Pa, Happy Birthday, Box of the Vikings. Happy Birthday,
mister Paul Allen, Happy birthday.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
Too.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
Happy be your birthday, Pa.
Speaker 7 (38:54):
You absolutely rock. Voice of the Vikings.
Speaker 2 (38:58):
Scold Baby Matt from.
Speaker 8 (39:01):
Cooler Compleanos Failees, Happy birthday the Top six zero. I
remember skipping geography class for mister Tim Walls out at
Mankato West High School, listening to you and Puffy as
I walked across.
Speaker 5 (39:18):
The bridge out in fan Cato.
Speaker 8 (39:21):
Hey love hearing you guys on the radio twenty plus
years only skipping you on the national broadcast for Kevin Harlan.
Speaker 3 (39:32):
Enjoy your birthday, puppy, Kevin Harlan h by down Hard.
Speaker 2 (39:37):
We call that the high hard one. Uh, the high
hard one.
Speaker 3 (39:42):
Gracias amigos at Pablito of Diablo, Vivadios Gracias.
Speaker 4 (39:48):
News Denard is brought to you by the casino at
Canterbury Park Canterbury Park dot com and you can go
to the website and learn about all the special events.
Of course, we're all patiently awaiting a live race season
to kick off in the spring. Let's get some horses going.
But it's poker, blackjack and table games all year round
(40:08):
and again, Canterbury Park dot com is the spot to go.
Minnesota whil lose last night in a late one four
to two to the La Kings. It just feels like
the Kings have been a difficult beat for our favorite
hockey team for many years. We're gonna have Alex staylock on.
Alex is gonna join us. His analyst work continues to grow,
continues to flourish, and the cracking around the corner. That'll
(40:32):
be on Thursday night before they return home after a
seven game road trip. This is the first game they've
lost on said road trip, by the way, in regulation,
but a tough couple days against La Go beat on
the crack and come home, and those talkbacks have been playing,
by the way. The reason well, not just people who
want to wish Pa a happy birthday on a sixtieth,
(40:52):
but there are wild tickets attached to it. At the
end of the show, I'm going to pick a winner
and one of you will get a pair of wild
tickets for the Devil game Monday the twelve, So thank
you for participating in that and wishing wishing the host
a happy birthday.
Speaker 2 (41:07):
Pa.
Speaker 4 (41:07):
We had head coach Chris Finch on this Seed this
morning to open the show. Miami Heat the Wolves on
a road trip part of front end of a back
to back beat Miami over the weekend by ten down
in South Beach, they get to see Tyler, hero and
out of Bio and everybody again tonight at Target Center
the Wolves with an opportunity to double up on those
(41:29):
Heat what'd you enjoy about your conversation with Finchy other
than hey, it's cool, he's a great dude. Love talking
to him. About tonight's game and where this team's headed.
Speaker 3 (41:39):
Well, I enjoyed a month and change ago he decided
to match my I hop total from the feast for
Second Harvest Heartland, So the forty three hundred dollars that
he's sending their way would be the a topic for me.
B They missed Tyler Hero when they beat the Heat
(41:59):
a few days ago.
Speaker 2 (42:00):
Tyler's been out for a little while.
Speaker 3 (42:02):
After coming back after being out for quite some time,
Finchy believes Hero probably will play tonight. For those who
are basketball snobs looking for the best to go in
against the best, I'd like for Tyler to play tonight too,
because he's fun to watch. I enjoyed that piece of
information and how he broke down a quote that I
(42:23):
shared yesterday nine to noon from Anthony Edwards secured by
Johnny Athletic when the team had lost to Atlanta before
they beat Miami, where Edwards basically was like, we I mean,
I don't want to paraphrase it like I did yesterday,
but Anthony said, most of the time we don't listen
to the game plan.
Speaker 2 (42:43):
When we listen to it and execute it, we're pretty good.
Speaker 3 (42:47):
So then I followed up with how as the coach
worker his way through that piece of honesty.
Speaker 2 (42:51):
Edwards then said after.
Speaker 3 (42:53):
That, I don't ask why they don't follow the plan
more frequently.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
Anthony's like, I don't know. We're hard headed. We want
to make the game harder.
Speaker 3 (43:04):
We listened tonight, which was against Miami the other day,
and it worked out. So I really enjoyed that part.
I don't generally taut the podcasting of nine to noon.
If you're meant to find it, you'll find it. But
if you like benchendor the Wolves, that interview interview has
some good podcast ability to it.
Speaker 4 (43:25):
Yeah, and it'll be podcasted and available around a quarter
afternoon today with the free iHeartRadio app. And that's where
you're going to listen to the Howl this evening at
seven pm. Big ten Basketball is on the fan Tonight
pregame at seven thirty, tip off seven ish go for
Men's and Iowa, so little border battle. You'll get to
hear that right here on the fan. I saw this.
(43:47):
That's kind of interesting. So at eleven twenty again we're
going to bring up just a little segment just would
flow go as in Brian Flores and maybe some open
opportunities that are presenting themselves in the NFL. Now part
of this, I really think that flow is going to
go to the team I'm going to bring up today. No,
I really don't, but it's intriguing and it's an opportunity
for us to break down really some teams that are
(44:09):
in turmoil and in transition. And we'll get to that
eleven twenty. The reason I bring that up, though, is
they have a big quarterback thought, a big quarterback quandary
in front of them.
Speaker 2 (44:18):
And so you'll hear that name later.
Speaker 4 (44:20):
But this name now speaking of quarterback conundrums, to a
tongue of Ioloa, get in a fresh start in twenty
twenty six, quote.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
Would be dope.
Speaker 4 (44:32):
So I saw that, and his quote here, let me
see here the he's got the twouner and twelve million
dollar extension. He was asked after the events of this
season that if you would be interested in a fresh start,
that would be dope. He said, I would be good
with it, and he actually went on even to confirm
with the Miami Herald he is indeed referring to a
(44:54):
fresh start with another team, though he did not go
so far as to say he would request a trade.
Speaker 2 (44:59):
You can read more about that at ESPN. But now
I jump over to spotrack. Bite fits. Yeah, spot Rack.
Speaker 4 (45:06):
He has three more years left on that two hundred
and twelve million dollar extension, including salaries of thirty nine
next up, then thirty one and forty one. As a
matter of fact, there's an additional option bonus of fifteen
million that's going to pop first few days of the
twenty twenty six league year, So some of that starts
to drop off in heavy numbers over the final year
(45:28):
or so void years whatever.
Speaker 2 (45:29):
I'm not Rob Razinski. I don't understand all of it
down to the penny. But in the end, if he.
Speaker 4 (45:34):
Did get a fresh start somewhere else, if it was
with your favorite team, would you be happy about that
taking on that potential financial incursion with additionally what you've
seen through his stint in Miami.
Speaker 2 (45:47):
Yeah, I don't rare tough.
Speaker 3 (45:50):
I don't like saying this about people, but I really
don't want anything to do with him. And you know,
his brother in Christ nature I believe is absolutely authentic,
and he does a lot of things for a lot
of people that a lot of people don't know about
that are of the philanthropic variety. I love that about Tua,
(46:11):
but there are facets of his game I just I
couldn't I just couldn't handle. I mean, and I'm not
trying to be, you know, like offensive coordinator or head
coach here. I just don't think he's very good. I
just don't know what he does well. I've never liked
his deep ball, and you know, then things started to
get weird with the McDaniel covenant, and Tua completely fell
(46:32):
off and got bench for somebody nobody's heard of.
Speaker 2 (46:35):
So no, I really wanted nothing to do with him.
Speaker 4 (46:37):
Yeah, And it even felt like remember the Flores audio
where he was kind of talking about just how toxic
it was with Florio and as if the breath of
fresh air was created when he would leave, and now
he's with Mike McDaniel and everything's hunky dory. But then
there were issues and I'm trying to decide and I
don't know the guy, but it sounded like whether it
(46:58):
was vias A podcast appearances and how he was kind
of explaining maybe some inadequacies in the offense, was he
being honest with Tyreek and Waddle as he was kind
of chiding them, like you need to come back to
the ball.
Speaker 2 (47:10):
This is how I do it.
Speaker 4 (47:12):
Is he blaming others or is he being honest about
his own limitations as a quarterback.
Speaker 2 (47:18):
You mentioned his deep question.
Speaker 4 (47:19):
Tyreek Hill can run just outrun when he was healthy
and pre that nasty injury he took earlier this year,
Tyreek Hill could outrun just about everybody's deep ball. So
is it to us saying, you guys got to change
the way you play to accommodate me because I know
how to play, or is it you guys got to
accommodate me because damn it, Tyreek, I can't throw it,
(47:40):
so I'm not Josh Allen. I can't throw it seventy
five yards down the field. You got to help her
brother out. So, but the combination that kind of that stuff, well,
how the money is ridiculous, the money's insane, and him
kind of really trying hard to leave any problems that
existed early in his career at the feet of Flores.
Speaker 2 (47:58):
I kind of just like I forgot it about that
best of luck. Yeah, that's right. I hated. I hated
how he did that and it was just super easy.
It really did not like that with the fact that
Flores was.
Speaker 4 (48:08):
He was never going to respond, might you say in kind?
Speaker 2 (48:13):
And was all in. He's instantly has to.
Speaker 4 (48:15):
Be on the defensive, off for some pleasantries and move
on right now that he's with the new team. I
didn't like any of that, So, well that's news. We
got Wolves tonight. Wild loss last night. Get a chance
to kick the crack in a couple of days from now,
which will lead us, of course to our eleven am
gues pa.
Speaker 3 (48:31):
And that's going to be Alex Staylock, former Wild goalie,
also also high school hockey star in this market, and
I played for the Dulude Bulldogs. Well, I head out
to Seattle to chat with Alex Staylock about the Wild.
Speaker 2 (48:45):
When nine to Noon
Speaker 3 (48:45):
Continues on FM one hundred point three, it's Kfan
Quishing a happy birthday to our national treasure PA. I
want to thank you very much, Pa for all you've
shared with us on the radio for the last several
decades and wishing you many happy years to come. We
appreciate all you do and the way you call plays
on the games, the way you share your stories and
you bring your relationships with coaches and players to the
(00:35):
radio between nine and noon.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Happy birthday, Thank you, Ben.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
I was going to share with you I'm not leaving
k F A n like under today it's my birthday
in order to have a trick up this lead with
the talkback machine. People are very very kind, and that's
what's going on right now. Harpy birthday, Good morning.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
There was a moment there where you were you were
talking last segment, and it was good to hear it.
You know you still as much this long into it,
you still love calling Vikings games. I'm like this like
a Harrison Smith conversation that started here after twenty four years.
I just want to let it I still love calling
the game.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
I'm just I'm just happy the team here at KFAN
and iHeart and or with the Vikings Entertainment Network or
the family in the press box at Canterbury Park, that
they're not paining me into a corner where I feel
like I have to retire because of everything that like
with Harrison Smith, and like he said with Ben when
(01:34):
we played that back yesterday, the excellent Nacho interview where
he's kind of like, well, I kind of feel like
I have to do it.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Yeah, he said, I feel like I'm at my funeral. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
That's when he said the locker room of the game,
after all the pomp and circumstances, you know.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
So now, man, that's just a very Harrison Smith thing
to say, I feel like I'm at my funeral felt
very appropriate for Harry.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Ben Gaslin at Ben Geslin via x follow him if
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(02:14):
Ben Gesling with The Star Tribune joining nine to noon
and a bumper to bumper with Barrero Standard Heating Dot
com Standard Heating dot com. If you want to help
those who help us, So let's begin here. If your
former Browns coach Kevin Stevanski and the Giants want you,
should that be the next stop? Given Cleveland is let
(02:35):
him go in good.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Morning, good morning. Yeah. I would think that he's going
to have some things to pick through, I would imagine,
and I would think that given what he went through
in Cleveland, specifically with the quarterback position, that I would
want to go somewhere where I knew that I was
either going to have a chance to pick one I
wanted or that there was already one there. So the
(03:00):
ion's chop would probably depend on how you feel about
Jackson Dart yep, or your chance to take one in
this draft. If Jackson Dart's not your guy, I would
imagine Tennessee if you are interested in that job, because
cam Woard is already there. It probably depends on how
you feel about caim Ward. But I would think that
it would depend a lot for him on the quarterback
(03:21):
situation and how he's going to feel about that, because
I just I don't think when you're going through this
for a second time, you know there's probably not going
to be a third chance, I mean a second chance.
This fast is a reflection of how people feel about him,
which you and I both covered him and know him
well enough to know that that's legitimate. I mean, he
is really good at what he does and he's very
well respected. So the fact that he came out of
(03:43):
that and well on he won two Coaches of the
Year there, which is more than a lot of teams
have done in Cleveland. Her coaches has done in Cleveland,
I should say, but you're probably not getting a third shot,
so the second one has to be one. I think
that you are pretty precise about knowing exactly what you're
walking into and how sustainable can this be for me?
So I think a lot of that is going to
(04:03):
have to do with the quarterback and if he feels
good about Jackson Darter, where they could get one, I mean,
picking as high as they are in this draft. It
depends on what you think of this draft class. But
I think a lot of his decision has to hinge
on that because that will have a lot to do
with how successful you are as the coach, depending on
what the quarterback situation looks like.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
If you are a general manager, team president, or team
owner running one of these squads that all.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Of a sudden as an opening.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Yeah, and you know, you know more about the inner
workings of what's going to take place in the National
Football League than even scribes or announcers. What I'm getting
that here is I do believe there is a chance
if Green Bay lays the proverbial leg Matt Lafleur, they'll
move on for Matt laflor Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
I'm just I'm gut vibing that.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
So therefore, Cleveland, Atlanta and the Giants setting up interviews
with Kevin right now, would you? And I believe at
least one of them will do this? Yeah, this here, okay,
and this number here, which is fat, this is in
front of you for the next forty eight hours, and
if you don't sign it, it won't be there after
(05:13):
certain teams play Saturday, Sunday and Monday. So a version,
in other words, of what happened in Minnesota to get
Kevin Stefanski to Minnesota. Oh yeah, the Vikings said to
Brad Schilders, we're not letting you get on the plane
to Green Bay. And Brad Childress, of course, brought Kevin
Stefanski with him from Philly to Minnesota.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
That's right. Yeah, so the similarities there.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Would you do that if you were Joe Shane or
if you were the part of the Mara family. You
own the Giants, you got a quarterback you think you like. Yep,
you got Scataboo and the way he plays, and you
got Malik Neighbors coming back. You got Abdul Carter showed
a pulse at the end of the year, right, and
you got good draft back Burns yet Brian Burns too
off what he did with all those sacks. I mean,
(05:55):
if I run that team, I would have to say, look,
we're not trying to be bleep poles here, right, We're
running a business man. And we know if Green Bay
offers up a dub, that guy could be gone. Tomlin
may retire, so there may Harbaugh may retire. He's not
in the playoffs, but nevertheless he may retire. So there
could be some more perceived desirable situations. That's why we
(06:19):
want you to either sign this now because if you don't,
it won't be there in two days.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Yeah. I think, knowing the timing of things, it makes
sense to play aggressively because I do think he's going
to be in demand. The Packers job, I think would
be attractive to a lot of coaches because you know,
the main thing is you're not dealing with an owner
every you know, every time anything happens. There's not somebody
that's kind of going knee jerk on things. And there's
(06:44):
good owners and bad owners and everything in between in
the NFL, but you don't deal with that in that
particular situation, and you know that there's already a quarterback there.
I mean, it depends probably how you feel about Jordan Love.
There's different theories on that, but it is structurally a
pretty attractive job. Yeah. So always better, yes, and it
will continue to be that, I think, as long as
(07:05):
that team is kind of doing things the way it's
done them. So if you're another team, and I think
the Giants it's one of those legacy ownership groups. The
Steelers are certainly the same thing, and I think those
make those attractive jobs as well. So if you're the Giants,
you could say, hey, this is a good situation. We've
won four Super Bowls. We've won recently and the it's
(07:27):
not just going back to the Parcels era. We've won
with Tom Coughlin. We have been a competitive organization. We
want to continue to be that. We think this is
a place you can come in and win and be
very successful. We know you're going to have offers. Yeah,
I think there would be an argument to make to say,
let's play kind of try to make the hard sell
and knowing that there's going to be teams that want
(07:47):
to talk to him, try to lock them up.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
I would agree. I think they want to make the
hard sell. Does that work with Stefanski though, I would?
I mean, in the end question if Joe Shane, who
should be counting as lucky stars, I can't believe he's
still the GM of the Giants with how the last
several years and a couple coaching changes have gone. He
should be counting his lucky stars. He's gonna say, hey,
you got until Saturday night and Stefans is like all right.
(08:11):
I mean, I just feel like Stefanski's at a spot
where there is if he is so in demand that
the leverage piece can work both ways. Where in the end,
if Joe Shane really truly believes in him to the
point where he wants to get him before he gets
in the door with anybody else and has another interview.
I would feel like STEFANSI, if you really want me
that job, will still be here on Monday.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Happy to chat with you later this week. We'll do lunch,
the whole thing.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
Yeah, Jackson Dart not sure about him, but I feel
confident in my scheme and the whole thing. Here's what
I want, Here's what I would do. But yeah, I
got till Monday. No, I know we need to hear
from you before set. Nope, I'll talk to you Monday.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
And I just think if he is in demand as
it feels like he would be, and there'll be other
offensive coordinator names and some people that maybe we haven't
even really thought about or heard of that emerge as
hot candidates this cycle.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
That'll happen.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
But I just feel like Stefanski should be in a
really positive spot that if he wants to sit for
a year and spend that haslum cash with the leftover
on the contract, or if he wants to jump right
back in, it kind of feels like he can he
can pick his destiny in that regard.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Yeah, the cash is an interesting question too, because is
their offset language to that cash. Probably I would assume
I think there usually is offset language and coach contracts.
And you also have Rooney Rule requirements to meet there
too if you're the Giants, so that could be part
of the timetable too. How can they go fast enough
to do that when you've got to, I think do
two interviews to satisfy the Liberty rule requirements at least so,
(09:42):
And I would think that's a team given where they
factored in the Brian Flores situation, that probably is going
to say we need to make sure we are doing
things the right way yep this time. So that's all
worth considering as part of this conversation. But yeah, I
think it does come down to who feels like they
have more leverage, who feels like they need to move faster.
That's probably how these things get determined.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
Does the Raiders opening make things for Brian Flores more
interesting given the Tom Brady tie and the top pick
in the draft.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
I mean I would think it would. The Brady tie
certainly is going to be one that matters, and I
think this came up a little bit yesterday too, But
Brian Flores is probably going to have his best chances
in a place where people know him the good, the bad,
everything in between. And are able to shift past the
(10:35):
narratives that they've read. I mean, there's been a Brian
Flores has been in the news a lot over the
last few years for any number of different reasons, from
how he exited Miami to the lawsuit to what he's
done in Minnesota. So you have a lot to sift
through in the course of an interview. And if you're
somebody that already knows him and has a relationship with
him and kind of knows everything that you're getting from
(10:58):
one side of the spectrum to the other, I think
that does make a lot of sense. So Brady, in
the fact that those two have worked together as long
as they have and obviously have a lot of respect
for one another because they've had a lot of success together,
I think that makes that an attractive situation. The question,
I think would be if you're picking first and you're
the Raiders, I mean, Brady's probably going to make the
(11:20):
call in the quarterback. I would think Brady's going to
have a lot to say about that. But are you
saying Brian Flores is going to be the guy that
develops this quarterback? I mean, that's going to be a
lot of the question for them. Whoever comes in saying
if we're picking one number one, and they wouldn't this
isn't a great quarterback class, they wouldn't have to do that.
But you have to have somebody that comes in with
a plan for that position, because they have been as
(11:42):
lost at that position as anybody in the NFL. And
that has a lot to do with the fact that
they've gone through coaches as much as they have because
they haven't won. So I think a lot of it
for them comes down to that and the question of
if your Flores, do you have a plan to relate
to your quarterback better? Then it went to a talk
about low on Miami. Do you have a offensive coordinator
(12:02):
in mind that you'd bring in to develop this quarterback.
I'm sure he's got a long rollodex of people. I
can think of some names from the Vikings that may
make some sense, or a name in Jacksonville that's not
calling plays that has shown he can develop quarterbacks that
is currently their offensive coordinator as well. But I think
a lot of the Flores discussion will come down to
what do you plan to do with the quarterback position.
(12:24):
I think it's an attractive job because of the relationship
with Brady. But you know, I keep coming. I sound
like a broken record, but I think this all comes
back to quarterbacks. Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
Now Matt Eber flews out as defensive coordinator for the Cowboys,
this would be a lateral move for Brian. Yeah, and
you can put the assistant head coach, the associate head
coach tag on to make it look like it's not
a lateral move, but it would be.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Yep. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
I mean, I might be burned by this, but I
put this near zero, near a zero percenter. I think
they're talent por on defense. Yeah, Dunn Williams is good,
but he's in the second half of his career. Kenny
Clark's almost done. You got no Michael Parsons. I like
the safeties a little Donov Wilson, but he's been around
for a while. I just think it's a talent poor
group over there in a mercurial situation because of the
(13:13):
owner who's the general manager, right, And it still bugs
me that he speaks before the coach after games, yeah,
and kind of analyzes you just can't do it that way.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
So what do you think of the Dallas deal? Well,
I mean, yeah, a lot of what you laid out there,
I think is valid that they have a lot of
things to figure out. Defensively, I think the fact that
they'll have some picks because they get the Packers first,
I think, at least for trying to remember the terms
of that deal. But they got a lot of picks
in that Michael Parsons deal with the Packers. Those aren't
going to be high picks, but they are extra draft capital.
(13:42):
It's an extra chance to get players in that top
one hundred, which everybody wants. So it's an interesting position
because it's Jerry Jones, which means that then the money
will be there, and I think the Vikings would put
the money there for him as well, but you'd have
that whole piece of thing. But then it's also he's enjoyed.
I think the fact in Minnesota that he gets a
(14:05):
lot of say in the defensive players that come in.
There is a level of hey, we will give you
some latitude to tell us what you want, tell us
what you think would fit, and we'll go get it
that in Dallas, is that going to go the same way?
I mean, if Jerry Jones sees it differently, or Steven
Jones sees it differently. Are you going to have that
(14:26):
same level of autonois? Yeah, yeah, I mean I wonder
about that. So it could be attractive, I think in
the sense of it's the Cowboys, there's gonna be money there,
all of those things. But the way he's been able
to do the job in Minnesota I think would change
pretty drastically if he were to try to do the
(14:47):
same thing in Dallas. Would you bet Flores leaves or Stays, Boy,
I would say probably more stays than Leaves. I'd probably
like sixty forty on this because I I'm about seventy
five to twenty five stays. Yeah, yeah, I mean I
go sixty forty, just because I think the fact that
he waited this out was for a reason, and I
(15:09):
think he does have a lot of intention to say,
let's see what the market looks like, and that could
have a lot to do with where he ends up.
But we'll see how that market shakes out for him,
and I think he may look at it and say,
there's a lot of things in Minnesota that I have
that I like. I like working with Kevin O'Connell. I
like the way that I get to shape the defense,
(15:31):
how I want. I mean that level of autonomy, like
you say, I mean what he did these last three
years was not There was no precedent for that schematically
in the NFL. It was a total out of left
field kind of thing, and say, I'm going to basically
take what Pat and Ardoozy did at pitt Yeah, adapted
to the NFL, and Kevin O'Connell like, yeah, great, go
(15:53):
for it. If you want to do what I trust you.
I mean that level of just in annuity and that
level of kind of total out of the box thinking
on what they did defensively. I'm not sure how many
places as a defensive coordinator you'd get that level of latitude.
And it worked spectacularly well, and you've seen teams start
(16:14):
to copy it the understanding of yes, you ken blitz
this aggressively and not get burned in coverage. I think
we've seen some of that change around the NFL as
a result of the Vikings showing it to be done.
So maybe it's not as big of a leap anymore,
but just the principle of saying we are going to
trust you to do this and build the defense with
the people you want to make it happen. That is
(16:35):
a unique thing, and that may be a lot of
what gets in back here. I'm sure it's going to
be part of the conversation that Kevin O'Connell has had
with him of Hey, we give you a lot of
that here, and would you have that everywhere else? I
don't know, so that may have a lot to do
with what happens here too.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Quacy and Kevin have thee have their season recap presser Thursday.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Yep. Do you think we'll let Flora's clarity by then?
I think that's the hope. Yeah, And I think they'd
like to have that wrapped up by that point that
it's the same kind of thing where they are. The
advantage they have right now is time because unless he
takes a head coaching job, I don't believe he can
talk to other teams until ten days after the season.
(17:16):
That's typical. I don't know the language in his contract specifically,
but that's typically how this works with coaches is there's
a ten day exclusive negotiating window for your current team
before you can go onto the market. Head coaching things
obviously change all of that. If he gets head coaching interviews,
he can take those at any point. But I think
the Vikings would try to move quickly because they have
(17:37):
this exclusive negotiating window at this point. So it depends
probably does he actually want to go out and talk
to other teams about defensive coordinator jobs? Does he want
to wait to the point where that happens, and you
run the risk I suppose of the Vikings saying all right,
then we have to consider our options too, and if
that's not, you know, that's the risk you take. So
(17:59):
I think they like to have it done. My gut
would be that it's not just because I wonder how
much of a negotiation they're still going to be. I
know that would certainly be. They like to be able
to be at that podium Thursday and say, yeah, this
is done and we're excited to have him here for
the next several years.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
I make McCarthy heavily favored to start Week one next season.
Do you see it that way? Like I'm like minus
seven minus eight hundred, boy. I mean, I do believe
that entities will be individuals will be brought in. Yeah, yeah,
But I can't I just can't get myself over the
hump to think that so and so will be brought
in to compete, Yeah, for the job.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
The big reason Daniel Jones left, right, Yeah? I mean
I think it's going to depend on what you promise people,
because I think part of the reason Daniel Jones obviously
left it was not the money, like the money was
there from the Vikings, it was I think I have
a better chance to win this job in Indianapolis than
I do in Minnesota.
Speaker 4 (18:56):
Well they were honest with them, they were, but we
want to go with j Jay. That's we're going to
support him, correct, see ya? And has that changed?
Speaker 2 (19:04):
I mean if they were to have that same conversation
with Daniel Jones or anybody else this march, would that
be said the same way. That's where I wonder a
little bit. But I do think that the cash they're
going to put into it is going to be limited
because they don't have a ton of cap space. I
don't think you're going to go out and pay a
quarterback market level money to compete with JJ McCarthy. If
(19:28):
you're bringing somebody in, it's somebody who's going to start,
and in that case, you're probably trying to trade JJ
McCarthy and not having that battle back and forth. If
you're talking about somebody making, you know, not market level money,
then that person's not going to necessarily have a claim
on the job, which means it is going to be
a competition, which means that person that you bring in
probably has something of a ceiling. So that I think
(19:49):
would play McCarthy's favor. He's been in the system. I
think the hope would be that he continues to develop,
continues to mature. We've seen a lot of need for that.
But a lot of this will depend on how aggressive
they get. And that's why I think it's more likely
than not that he's starting, because I the other thing
is they understand that this stuff takes a while, and
(20:10):
this stuff is not going to be solved in ten starts.
But you also have to have some options because he
has to be better than he was this year. There's
just no way around that way.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
So back to Flores to close here with Brian, you know,
and Nine to Noon. As has discussed as quite a bit,
it will take a certain type of owner.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Okay, so the Rooney family.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
Yep, Mark Davis, Bob Kraft, maybe Arthur Blank to a
certain extent, Jerry Jones. It would take a certain type
of owner that has Jennie Quah would not be the
right have a swash buckling side to them where it's like, well,
we don't care about the law. No, yeah, we don't
care that you think refs are going to drop more
(20:53):
flags in our games because of these lawsuits and we
hired this guy. We don't care about that subterfuge, you know.
So it's Vegas when I say seventy five twenty five.
Most of it for me is that Las Vegas job is.
If Flores were to be hired as a spot coach,
I think that would be the spot because they can
(21:13):
get a quarterback, whether people like Mendoza or not, they
can draft a quarterback. They have Max Crosby. He's shown
what he can do with perceived middling individuals, middling players,
and the Davis family forever has rolled that way. So yes,
that's kind of where you know, I cast my gaze
(21:34):
if he were to get a head coaching job.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
You think that Mayor is an iconoclassic streak in the
Davis family that I think would probably play into this.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
Yes, I think that that, plus the relationship with Brady
does make sense. Ben Gaslin' Star Tribune Star Tribune dot Com.
Thank you Standard Heating and Air. When we return, Nordo
is going to guide us through a Vikings free agent
related segment we think you'll like. It's ten thirty, Good morning,
it's nine to nine.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
You're listening to the fan.
Speaker 5 (22:15):
Happy birthday, Pa, another year on the clock.
Speaker 6 (22:18):
Boom, and you're still delivering legendary calls that echo across
Vikings Nation Man from kickoff to the final horn, your
voice brings the purple to life, wishing you a birthday
filled with big plays, great health, and nothing but victory
is ahead.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Skull, Amen, thank you, it's no good again. Get the
hell out of here.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
Brian missed it, put eleft again and the Bikings only
lead by two. Come on, so it's it's too early
to ponder what they potentially have up their sleeves for
a veteran.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Backup, right, I think so? Yeah, I mean, we just
see what the market looks like. It's ridiculous. I even
asked that question.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
But what's not ridiculous is Nordo has a list of
Vikings free agents, and these are quick twitch reactions with
the right to change things after it gets steamy at
the combine for you, more so than me, and then
up to free agency and the draft and stuff like this.
But Ben and I are going to respond with either
(23:27):
like the player returns, the player is gone, or pass
because we're not sure you okay with that?
Speaker 2 (23:35):
All right?
Speaker 4 (23:35):
So we have a total of nineteen names here by now.
Most of them will be on UFAs, and then a
couple are restricted and then some exclusive rights.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
You guys, get all that yelling for me is going
to be not to hedge enough and say, well, it
could be this, it could be that it's time for
us to get through all nineteen of these before the break.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
I'll save some of the more emotionally charged, indoor equity
laden names towards the bottom, but we're going to start here.
Jeff Acuda, the reclamation project didn't necessarily go as plan.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
He's a UFA gone gone, yep.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
Tavier Thomas, Tavier Thomas, all special teams and filling in
where he can get in. Tavier Thomas led them in
special teams tackles.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
I'd say gone. I could see him back on a
cheap deal just because of the special team stuff. So
I'll save him back cheaply.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Yeah, I could say back, It's I'm not saying that
you can, you know, find a Tavier Thomas at every
seven to eleven copyright Mike Zimmer, Right. But nevertheless, he
you know he Tavierre Thomas because so few had heard
of him. It's actually been in the league like seven
or eight years.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
He has been.
Speaker 3 (24:40):
Yeah, so previous with the Bucks maybe yeah, the Cardinals
for sure, Maybe the Bucks, maybe the Panthers. But he's
been around, He's been around the block. So if he
I'm quite fond of him. I hope he returns very
good at what he does. But you just never know
what that spot.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
Justin's School having to fill in. Of course, we added
him for insurance with the Darrisaw injury, and it was
tough to go. Had some good moments middle maybe it
just wasn't going to work towards the end. But all
the same, Justin's School being put on the field for
a lot of snaps this year given what we expected.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
I mean, they like their backup tackles, so I would
I mean, can they do better? I think it's the question.
I'm gonna say he's back with the possibility that I
say he's back, because they want to staff that position.
The heads there is do they find somebody else to
do it.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna pass because I honestly
have no idea.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
Yeah, but when when Eric went down.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
That road, my first thought was, all right, well, before
figuring out what you're going to do with school, you
better get squared away. Was seventy one. I mean because
the inn and the out and the ten plays and
then then ir out of nowhere.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
Yeah, maybe not game day workouts. The whole thing unknown
was a problem, so that that has to be squared away.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
Yes, Ron more technically is the UFA, but sadly due
to injury, never really was here in totality gone. I
think gone, Ryan right plus size punter. We need him
back only extension, Yeah he had. I think he's back.
He had a great year, fantastic year. Of all the
QB names that will pop up, we'll be asked more
than once about the NDSU cat Carson Wentz. Carson Wentz
(26:21):
shoulder is going to be healthy maybe enter twenty twenty six,
and maybe that's an answer.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
A full off seat veteran backup. Yeah, was mostly fine, right.
Speaker 3 (26:33):
You know, plays through pain clearly full off season. Really yes,
likes it here, right, I mean that's I have to pass,
because I think they're gonna sniff around, right, a bunch
of other options yep, including potentially some very high end
options yep.
Speaker 4 (26:50):
From a sniff around standpoint right, all those fans in
the seven to one they bought the number eleven Jerseys.
I mean, gosh, we're mean an investment.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
If he came back as the backup quarterback, I wouldn't
be surprised and I wouldn't be offended.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
No, I think if you decide we need somebody that's
a veteran that is not necessarily straight out fifty to
fifty competition with JJ McCarthy, but can get us through
if needed. Now that he's had time in the scheme, yeah,
I think I could get down with that. I will
also pass, but I will I would not be surprised
if he's back under the circumstances we just laid out.
(27:24):
I like the way he ben put that. I can
get down with that. We need to get down with
that too. We need to keep the battery in place, right,
so Depaula. Can we get another year of elite long
snapping from Depaula? He wants to be here old, Yes, Yeah,
he's in if he wants to be.
Speaker 4 (27:37):
I think Matt Nelson reserve tackle, wasn't really familiar with
his activities. Brett ripping the in and out aspect of
the QB. Can we say gone on that? I think
gone gone. Ty Chandler interesting name or maybe not interesting.
It is an interesting name because he's fast. O'Connell adores him,
he's very good on special teams.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
He's got some kick return to him. They got Miles Price.
So what are we looking at here with Jones? Like
Jones future because of the injuries and where he is
in his career.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
And the money he's expensive. Visit void years, but they
could save some money. It's one more year like eleven
or twelve. Maybe, Yeah, there's void years, so you can
mess with the cap number if you want to, But
then you're kicking money down the road, which I say,
I say ty Chandler back return. I think I will
say that as well because of the special teams and
(28:29):
they have put a lot of time into him, that
the past protection has been the issue. But if they
feel like, hey there's enough upside here, maybe that he's
helping as the running back a little, but certainly the
special teams because if you lose, you're gonna Lucy j Ham,
Tavi or Thomas if he's going to like, you need
special teams, people you can trust. So yeah, I think
he's back. Yeah. Ive In Pace is an interesting one.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
Lose restricted, unrestracted, no excuse me, restricted.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
Mut if you put the rite of first refusal on
him's an undrafted free agents so you don't have draft
back compensation tied to it. I think they gone. I
would tend to go that way as well. I could
see them putting that tag on him and saying somebody
else go take him. I think if if you take
all of the how do they feel about him stuff,
(29:17):
if you just go on that basis, I think he's
probably going.
Speaker 5 (29:19):
Well.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
The layering of it with zero is fascinating because the
guy who took his job well, I mean he had
by far the best season of his life. Yes, and
you know when Duverney got that season changing kick return.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Yes, if you believe.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
Ivan Pace Junior was the major culprit who went free
will on it and outside of the plan and I
kind of changed the season. And then you look at
his snap counts. Yeah, moving forward where they diminished greatly,
the team will have to get past that moment. Yes,
they'll have to just cost them the division. And let's
(29:59):
be clear, as it were doubt across in the division.
It well, I mean that's assuming the other games win. Yeah,
it is, they would see the Packers would have played starters.
You're a ninety four and a half percent winner in
that game if you can just stop a kick, right,
and so if you believe that it was his fault
and if they can't get past it, then zero becomes
(30:20):
a zero center.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
Yeah for the old return Ben Simms restricted whatever, I mean,
best of luck to him, but all the same, bull Richter.
Kind of interesting, but not I think I think Ben'll
be on the team. You think Ben Simms will be
I like him.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Yeah, I think they'll.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
I think they'll bring him back for organized team activities.
But yeah, I see what you're saying, bull Richter.
Speaker 4 (30:39):
Maybe a similar spot risk special exclusive rights opportunity chap
back into the rosters back Xavier Scott did he did
he offer enough in his single year as an exclusive
rights to potentially get another another shake at it.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
Exclusive rights sealers are so cheap.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
I'm gonna say yes me too, Jalen Red exclusive rights,
I mean you got we got to do something with
that here when they go to cutting whatever money they save, yeah,
he gets part of.
Speaker 4 (31:09):
It, and he's probably in mind as part of some
of those moves, Yes, that might be taking place.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
At the end here.
Speaker 4 (31:16):
How about this name Jalen Naylor. Jalen Naylor. So I
was thinking about it, and for some reason it popped
in my head when we were talking about this Pa,
the Christian Kirk when he became a free agent out
of nowhere, minimal production at times more than what Jalen
Naylor's offered in Minnesota thus far. But suddenly he's getting
eighteen million dollars a year from the Jags, and until
(31:38):
injuries bid him the last couple of years, he was
actually living up to that. And I don't know what
the you know, sometimes we fall in love with our
draft picks in terms of is it the scheme, is
it the team? Is it the environment that kind of
put him in that spot to thrive? Would he be
so thriving elsewhere? I don't think it's going to be
eighteen a year for Jalen Naylor. Feels like, I mean,
you could get him for seven ish million maybe if
(32:01):
he's going to go market value and free agency. But
he will be unrestricted here pretty quick.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
I think it only takes one team to see what
somebody saw on Christian Kirk. I think that team will
be there. I think he's gone. I think he plays
for the LA Rams next year.
Speaker 4 (32:15):
Oh yeah, and that would if it's a scheme thing,
it's an opportunity thing. It's not a bad spot for him.
I think that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
C J.
Speaker 4 (32:22):
Ham unrestricted lights out, he's retiring, retire there, Yeah, and
we've we've talked about twenty two.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
Will he won't? He may.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
That's still that's still not a zero. But I don't
think it's a zero. I don't think it's it's still
very Flores tied though Flora certain Flores goes to Vegas
as the head coach. Harry ain't going to Vegas. No, No,
He's playing here nowhere. Yeah, right, So, but I still
would say Smith retiring.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
I would too. I think Flora's being back makes it
maybe a little more likely. You could try the like
ye Stefan Gilmour thing where you bring him back in August.
He has to decide he wants to stay in shape
that long, though, I mean, it needs a matter of
saying am I keeping myself in football shape that long?
I'm not sure he's gonna want to do that. I
think he's done. I mean the number of people that
were there Sunday, I think everybody has the belief that
(33:10):
he's done.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
Is hit Man the type of guy that would be
open to that anyway, Like, Hey, if I'm going to
be staying in high end shape, I'm gonna wait till
August to have this conversation. Can I just come back now?
I can use the cryo chamber and the facilities inside,
catch a free meal once in a while in the cafeteria,
Like do you think he'd really just be working out
on his own and twiddling his thumbs and then yeah,
(33:33):
mid August, I'm gonna rejoin the fold is medieval torture
device for him, get his body limbered up.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
Yeah he's done. Yeah, I just don't think he's going
to want to go through OTA's mini campbell. I mean,
the reason he wants to go through the scribe and
everybody asking him, yeah, well wait a second. Those final
two games, it's yeah, like all the bally hood pomping circumstance.
He strikes me as like the vibes on Sunday, and
just knowing him as well as we both do, I
think when he decides to go, he's gonna say, Okay, yeah,
(34:04):
I've closed the door. I'm not doing the will I won't.
I think I think.
Speaker 4 (34:08):
Kind of two years in a row of that too.
I mean it was a bit muted a year ago,
but it was very strong as we heard over the
last days and weeks. Last one here would be Eric Wilson,
which you know part of that is the Ivan Pace conversation, etc.
But Eric Wilson, you know, contract year as it is,
has a career year in Flores' defense plays.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
A guy out of a job and maybe even out
of town.
Speaker 4 (34:32):
Eric Wilson if he was gone, and if they're done
with Ivan Pace, that would leave a pretty nasty hole
there in the linebacking corps for the Vikings defense.
Speaker 2 (34:39):
It would.
Speaker 3 (34:40):
It's one of the better routes Kasia Dolpho has made
by telling him, well, we're gonna double your salary from
what Green Bay was paying you. Because then they moved
into Isaiah McDuffie, who he's fine, but he didn't have
as good a year as Eric Wilson. Eric sitting on
something very very nice into his tenth year.
Speaker 2 (35:01):
Yeah, that move probably did cost him a comp pick
as it worked out, because of the playing time. The
contract in the playing time probably cost them a compick.
But you can't operate, you know, saying well, we might
lose out on this. I mean, he this was a
good problem. This is a Champagne problem, as Quacy or
perhaps Taylor Swift would put it. Yeah, he had a
(35:22):
great year and that made it so that they lose
a compic. But it also made it so that you
had a guy that you really needed. Yeah, he's sitting
on a nice opportunity. The question is did they end
up getting out priced for him? I think he's back
if the number is okay, well, what's okay? Well, I
mean seventeen eighteen tackles for loss with all those sacks,
(35:44):
you know where he It's like when it comes to
Flores defense, what's identifiable that every casual can know what
they do with Harrison Smith, what they do with Van Ginker,
what they do with Grenard Win theo Jackson's in, what's
happening when he's out?
Speaker 3 (35:59):
The Dallas was in you know, so there's Nuance Wilson.
I mean, he just made it's obviously he was important. Yeah,
but I'm not saying that he was the most identifiable thing. Yeah,
on a weekly basis from a splashing standpoint, yet he splashed.
Speaker 7 (36:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
I just mean that unless he gets some team that
throws the bag at him, which you know at age
what thirty one, and I think it's probably not terribly likely.
Speaker 3 (36:23):
So it's got to be five million minimum. Yeah, yeah,
but I think they do it for that. I mean,
I think you can make it work for that. So
unless it's something crazy that he's like, hey, this is
too much money for me to turn out somewhere else, heya,
I think there's a good chance.
Speaker 4 (36:35):
But even that would be like, I mean, like a
two to ten, two and twelve type of frint.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
I think they'd will be the first two year deal
in ten years for him. Yeah, if he were to
get it, which is happy with that first deal? Man
is his signing bonus was ten grand?
Speaker 4 (36:47):
Right?
Speaker 2 (36:47):
He was another free agent and they liked him. Yeah.
I mean even I remember back then talking to like
Jeff Howard and he was like, hey, this is underap
to linebacker from Cincinnati. He's got something to him. And
he had the year with Zimmer where he had a
bunch of picks, yep, but it wasn't like this where
he was this big of a factor. So this is
the best ser of his career.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
Yes, if he leaves, what do you think of Dallas
Turner moving inside with Grenard and Van Ginkle. Now they've
tried Turner inside a little bit. Yeah, his rookie year,
they tried him inside against the Lions. With all due respect,
took Ben Johnson five seconds to figure out where the
bones were bearing, and Dallas didn't see the inside the
rest of the year.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
Right, Ben does that? But what do you think of that?
To close? I don't love it. I mean, I think
his speed off the edge of we we saw it Sunday.
I think that's where you want to use him, and
you have to get him to the point where he's
in every down player there because it also makes it easier.
And then in twenty seven, if those Grenard van Ginkle
numbers get a little high, especially those guys into the thirties,
(37:45):
he's ready to kind of take over one of those spots.
Speaker 4 (37:47):
So I don't like taking those reps off, right. I mean,
when we're looking at the best defensive fronts in the NFL,
you're looking at guys that are there too.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
Deep at each spot, right, So yep.
Speaker 4 (37:55):
Having Turner as that third guy still and hinting at
the idea of being in the top two and evolving,
that'd be nice.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
Yeah, bless you brother, and we're here any Tuesday you
want to stop that, I we'd love to have you
around during the postseason and after that we'll throw caution
to the wind.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
Hang out for your birthday today and my birthday next Tuesday.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
Awesome, come back, come back next Tuesday if you're around, okay,
Ben Gestling Start Tribune, Start tribune dot com. Thank you
Standard Heating and Air Standardheating dot Com.
Speaker 2 (38:23):
Benny is the best. We'll be right there.
Speaker 7 (38:33):
Happy birthday, Pa, Happy Birthday, Box of the Vikings. Happy Birthday,
mister Paul Allen, Happy birthday.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
Too.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
Happy be your birthday, Pa.
Speaker 7 (38:54):
You absolutely rock. Voice of the Vikings.
Speaker 2 (38:58):
Scold Baby Matt from.
Speaker 8 (39:01):
Cooler Compleanos Failees, Happy birthday the Top six zero. I
remember skipping geography class for mister Tim Walls out at
Mankato West High School, listening to you and Puffy as
I walked across.
Speaker 5 (39:18):
The bridge out in fan Cato.
Speaker 8 (39:21):
Hey love hearing you guys on the radio twenty plus
years only skipping you on the national broadcast for Kevin Harlan.
Speaker 3 (39:32):
Enjoy your birthday, puppy, Kevin Harlan h by down Hard.
Speaker 2 (39:37):
We call that the high hard one. Uh, the high
hard one.
Speaker 3 (39:42):
Gracias amigos at Pablito of Diablo, Vivadios Gracias.
Speaker 4 (39:48):
News Denard is brought to you by the casino at
Canterbury Park Canterbury Park dot com and you can go
to the website and learn about all the special events.
Of course, we're all patiently awaiting a live race season
to kick off in the spring. Let's get some horses going.
But it's poker, blackjack and table games all year round
(40:08):
and again, Canterbury Park dot com is the spot to go.
Minnesota whil lose last night in a late one four
to two to the La Kings. It just feels like
the Kings have been a difficult beat for our favorite
hockey team for many years. We're gonna have Alex staylock on.
Alex is gonna join us. His analyst work continues to grow,
continues to flourish, and the cracking around the corner. That'll
(40:32):
be on Thursday night before they return home after a
seven game road trip. This is the first game they've
lost on said road trip, by the way, in regulation,
but a tough couple days against La Go beat on
the crack and come home, and those talkbacks have been playing,
by the way. The reason well, not just people who
want to wish Pa a happy birthday on a sixtieth,
(40:52):
but there are wild tickets attached to it. At the
end of the show, I'm going to pick a winner
and one of you will get a pair of wild
tickets for the Devil game Monday the twelve, So thank
you for participating in that and wishing wishing the host
a happy birthday.
Speaker 2 (41:07):
Pa.
Speaker 4 (41:07):
We had head coach Chris Finch on this Seed this
morning to open the show. Miami Heat the Wolves on
a road trip part of front end of a back
to back beat Miami over the weekend by ten down
in South Beach, they get to see Tyler, hero and
out of Bio and everybody again tonight at Target Center
the Wolves with an opportunity to double up on those
(41:29):
Heat what'd you enjoy about your conversation with Finchy other
than hey, it's cool, he's a great dude. Love talking
to him. About tonight's game and where this team's headed.
Speaker 3 (41:39):
Well, I enjoyed a month and change ago he decided
to match my I hop total from the feast for
Second Harvest Heartland, So the forty three hundred dollars that
he's sending their way would be the a topic for me.
B They missed Tyler Hero when they beat the Heat
(41:59):
a few days ago.
Speaker 2 (42:00):
Tyler's been out for a little while.
Speaker 3 (42:02):
After coming back after being out for quite some time,
Finchy believes Hero probably will play tonight. For those who
are basketball snobs looking for the best to go in
against the best, I'd like for Tyler to play tonight too,
because he's fun to watch. I enjoyed that piece of
information and how he broke down a quote that I
(42:23):
shared yesterday nine to noon from Anthony Edwards secured by
Johnny Athletic when the team had lost to Atlanta before
they beat Miami, where Edwards basically was like, we I mean,
I don't want to paraphrase it like I did yesterday,
but Anthony said, most of the time we don't listen
to the game plan.
Speaker 2 (42:43):
When we listen to it and execute it, we're pretty good.
Speaker 3 (42:47):
So then I followed up with how as the coach
worker his way through that piece of honesty.
Speaker 2 (42:51):
Edwards then said after.
Speaker 3 (42:53):
That, I don't ask why they don't follow the plan
more frequently.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
Anthony's like, I don't know. We're hard headed. We want
to make the game harder.
Speaker 3 (43:04):
We listened tonight, which was against Miami the other day,
and it worked out. So I really enjoyed that part.
I don't generally taut the podcasting of nine to noon.
If you're meant to find it, you'll find it. But
if you like benchendor the Wolves, that interview interview has
some good podcast ability to it.
Speaker 4 (43:25):
Yeah, and it'll be podcasted and available around a quarter
afternoon today with the free iHeartRadio app. And that's where
you're going to listen to the Howl this evening at
seven pm. Big ten Basketball is on the fan Tonight
pregame at seven thirty, tip off seven ish go for
Men's and Iowa, so little border battle. You'll get to
hear that right here on the fan. I saw this.
(43:47):
That's kind of interesting. So at eleven twenty again we're
going to bring up just a little segment just would
flow go as in Brian Flores and maybe some open
opportunities that are presenting themselves in the NFL. Now part
of this, I really think that flow is going to
go to the team I'm going to bring up today. No,
I really don't, but it's intriguing and it's an opportunity
for us to break down really some teams that are
(44:09):
in turmoil and in transition. And we'll get to that
eleven twenty. The reason I bring that up, though, is
they have a big quarterback thought, a big quarterback quandary
in front of them.
Speaker 2 (44:18):
And so you'll hear that name later.
Speaker 4 (44:20):
But this name now speaking of quarterback conundrums, to a
tongue of Ioloa, get in a fresh start in twenty
twenty six, quote.
Speaker 2 (44:30):
Would be dope.
Speaker 4 (44:32):
So I saw that, and his quote here, let me
see here the he's got the twouner and twelve million
dollar extension. He was asked after the events of this
season that if you would be interested in a fresh start,
that would be dope. He said, I would be good
with it, and he actually went on even to confirm
with the Miami Herald he is indeed referring to a
(44:54):
fresh start with another team, though he did not go
so far as to say he would request a trade.
Speaker 2 (44:59):
You can read more about that at ESPN. But now
I jump over to spotrack. Bite fits. Yeah, spot Rack.
Speaker 4 (45:06):
He has three more years left on that two hundred
and twelve million dollar extension, including salaries of thirty nine
next up, then thirty one and forty one. As a
matter of fact, there's an additional option bonus of fifteen
million that's going to pop first few days of the
twenty twenty six league year, So some of that starts
to drop off in heavy numbers over the final year
(45:28):
or so void years whatever.
Speaker 2 (45:29):
I'm not Rob Razinski. I don't understand all of it
down to the penny. But in the end, if he.
Speaker 4 (45:34):
Did get a fresh start somewhere else, if it was
with your favorite team, would you be happy about that
taking on that potential financial incursion with additionally what you've
seen through his stint in Miami.
Speaker 2 (45:47):
Yeah, I don't rare tough.
Speaker 3 (45:50):
I don't like saying this about people, but I really
don't want anything to do with him. And you know,
his brother in Christ nature I believe is absolutely authentic,
and he does a lot of things for a lot
of people that a lot of people don't know about
that are of the philanthropic variety. I love that about Tua,
(46:11):
but there are facets of his game I just I
couldn't I just couldn't handle. I mean, and I'm not
trying to be, you know, like offensive coordinator or head
coach here. I just don't think he's very good. I
just don't know what he does well. I've never liked
his deep ball, and you know, then things started to
get weird with the McDaniel covenant, and Tua completely fell
(46:32):
off and got bench for somebody nobody's heard of.
Speaker 2 (46:35):
So no, I really wanted nothing to do with him.
Speaker 4 (46:37):
Yeah, And it even felt like remember the Flores audio
where he was kind of talking about just how toxic
it was with Florio and as if the breath of
fresh air was created when he would leave, and now
he's with Mike McDaniel and everything's hunky dory. But then
there were issues and I'm trying to decide and I
don't know the guy, but it sounded like whether it
(46:58):
was vias A podcast appearances and how he was kind
of explaining maybe some inadequacies in the offense, was he
being honest with Tyreek and Waddle as he was kind
of chiding them, like you need to come back to
the ball.
Speaker 2 (47:10):
This is how I do it.
Speaker 4 (47:12):
Is he blaming others or is he being honest about
his own limitations as a quarterback.
Speaker 2 (47:18):
You mentioned his deep question.
Speaker 4 (47:19):
Tyreek Hill can run just outrun when he was healthy
and pre that nasty injury he took earlier this year,
Tyreek Hill could outrun just about everybody's deep ball. So
is it to us saying, you guys got to change
the way you play to accommodate me because I know
how to play, or is it you guys got to
accommodate me because damn it, Tyreek, I can't throw it,
(47:40):
so I'm not Josh Allen. I can't throw it seventy
five yards down the field. You got to help her
brother out. So, but the combination that kind of that stuff, well,
how the money is ridiculous, the money's insane, and him
kind of really trying hard to leave any problems that
existed early in his career at the feet of Flores.
Speaker 2 (47:58):
I kind of just like I forgot it about that
best of luck. Yeah, that's right. I hated. I hated
how he did that and it was just super easy.
It really did not like that with the fact that
Flores was.
Speaker 4 (48:08):
He was never going to respond, might you say in kind?
Speaker 2 (48:13):
And was all in. He's instantly has to.
Speaker 4 (48:15):
Be on the defensive, off for some pleasantries and move
on right now that he's with the new team. I
didn't like any of that, So, well that's news. We
got Wolves tonight. Wild loss last night. Get a chance
to kick the crack in a couple of days from now,
which will lead us, of course to our eleven am
gues pa.
Speaker 3 (48:31):
And that's going to be Alex Staylock, former Wild goalie,
also also high school hockey star in this market, and
I played for the Dulude Bulldogs. Well, I head out
to Seattle to chat with Alex Staylock about the Wild.
Speaker 2 (48:45):
When nine to Noon
Speaker 3 (48:45):
Continues on FM one hundred point three, it's Kfan
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