July 25, 2024 • 40 mins
The Athletic's Alec Lewis in studio on Vikings camp, Mekhi Blackmon's injury, financial/draft moves by the team in recent years and more!
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(00:00):
Man, okay you horror Yeah.Nine to Now we're back to the radio
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show. I've been one hunderd pointthree A F A M. Eric Nordquist
is the producer and I'm Paul Allen. Joining us now in studio is Alec
Lewis at Alec Underscore Lewis via thetweet Machine. Also he of the podcasting
variety. We have the Alec LewisShow. It's a Viking's podcast. It
(00:55):
just popped within the last week ora couple of days ago. Robert's super
well respected NFL mind from the Athleticis the first guest. You can subscribe
to it and like the YouTubers liketo say, you know, go on
to hit that sub button and makesure to hit that bell so anytime something
pops up, you know what's rightthere in your fee. Is that what
(01:17):
they say? That's what they say. I've never heard that YouTube Apple Spotify.
It is the Alec Lewis Show.One episode into it. That's that's
pretty cool. You're gonna come onsoon if you'll have me. I mean,
what do you mean if I'll haveyou? Anytime you want? Nordo,
will you come to my house sowe can do it? Yeah,
I know, Mann, that soundslike a weird. That's kind of a
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weird. That's breaking like the fourthwall and will you coach, will you
come to my house? Okay,it's good to see if you guys are
making me sound like charge in thepulp fiction or whatever the movie was with
the gim like all of a suddwe're gonna open the door and out comes
the cartoon character ANNOUNCERR to do thepodcast. No, I'd love to have
you. No, I appreciate youtalking about it. I've been to his
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house. My kids have soiled hishot tub. There's Jimmy cold cuts is
wandering around. They didn't have soillast they didn't soil it. Now the
kids are eight, correct eight,they're nine now nine, So we're gonna
say they're about four four or five'sabout four or five years sure, And
I mean it's now. The kidsaren't supposed to be cognizant of this.
(02:21):
But at four, no, they'rewalking around, you know, and they're
like a lot of pebbles and dirtand cotton and stuff on the bottom of
their feet. Hey, girls,good jump right in head on it.
Yeah, And the Nordo jumped inand Pete in my hot tub and I
had to clean the sucker. That'swhy you have eggsbum took Like, wow,
the producer strikes back and so yeah, that's that's all part of that.
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Where's that? Where's that? Wonderful? Oh? Here it is?
Hold on all right? Three two. Sam Darnold just drilled Justin Jefferson on
deep Pa, which is action overthe top, fifty plus in the air,
beautiful ball. Justin caught it andskipped around. You love that we're
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back. I love the No.No, it's a compliment. When you
can feel the happiness, positivity,negativity, sorrow or sadness in a tweet,
it's a good tweet. Well,people can't be out there, so
like this time, until the fanscan be out there, I want to
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give people the image we were outthere yesterday. You were out there,
but I'm darting fan objective media journalists, uh no. So I want to
give people the vibe. And Ialso like, I'm having a hell of
a time. I'm I was listeningto your show and I was listening to
Titans guy earlier today, who madethe Titans sound like the eighty five Bears
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mixed with Vince Lombardi mix. Imean talked about Lloyd Cushion Berry like he
was the greatest offensive lineman to everwalk the face of the earth. And
I'm in my car like, holycow. But I got home and I'm
like, oh man, it wasfun listening to that. And I'm walking
to my apartment knowing I'm coming here, and I've got chills, like I'm
excited. I I die. Itwas beautiful. It was beautiful. It
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looked like a real NFL play,right, it was beautiful. I gotta
tell you, any griddy, whydo you go to skippy? We were
back. I think it was like, Holy cow, Sam just threw a
I mean it was a I wassurprised you're saying no. I mean it
was just a hell of a past. And I will say that earlier in
the practice, Alec, We've seenDarnold do something like that to other people
about ten times this offseason. Youknow, it's not the first time he's
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connected deep on it. Don Idon't know, but I will say Andrew
Booth was like seven thousand yards behindJustin Jefferson. It was as if it
was as if Andrew Booth forgot thatwhen the ball is snapped you have to
move. Well, how do youknow it wasn't somebody else's fault? What
are your pro football focused? Well, I didn't have releasing the grades on
a Sunday night off the TV copy. Well that it is like that is
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one challenge of watching practices. Youdon't get the replay and you realize how
reliant you are in your evaluation ofreplay. So so there are times where
I don't really like, I'm like, I think that was it. I
mean, I I guess I saythis very kindly to Andrew Booth, but
if he's anywhere near the play,it's probably his fault, right, Yeah,
it was his fault. You couldtell there's a byet. I mean,
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yeah, I could. I understandwhat you're saying, and I say
it nicely. Well, but see, then it ties into the the you
know, the Vikings have not confirmedBlackman's a c I've confirmed it. I
understand that, but the team hasn'tconfirmed it, right, No, they
haven't put anything out. Yeah,I mean it's in the in the pecking
order when it comes to validity oraccuracy or you know, the the with
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stuff like this, it's the thepecking order of when I'm surging around.
It goes like dot Com, TomBellisaro Schefter, Glazer, Misjutani, Guessling,
Doogie Seafert. And then when whenyou validated him, Nordo and I
both signed off on it. So, I mean, we got too many
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strong people in that stable to believeit didn't happen. No, I'm just
glad you included me in that list, to be honest. Yeah, I
look, Jolly Smith covers the Wild, but I was also looking to hear
what he had to say about it. Yeah for sure. I mean,
I uh, you know, Idon't traffic and breaking news all the time.
It's not really what I like todo. I like telling stories and
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I like allowing people, through mywriting to get close to what we get
to see every day. But yeah, I I ent young Blood added first.
Some of these people I don't know. Am I supposed to know?
I've known him for years. Okay, well that was a nice view.
But uh yeah, no, II yeah, I right after a few
minutes after. I mean, itwas a really interesting deal. It was
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a seven on seven rep and allof a sudden, like you kind of
saw someone go down. I wasn'ttotally locked into it and Kevin Seafert of
ESPN was standing right next to meand they were talking about it, and
I kind of looked over and Makaiwas on the ground for a while,
and Tyler Williams who's the director ofhealth, and doctor Cotesia who was the
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one who told Kirk Cousins that hehad the torn achilles. They were over
there with Mikayle on the ground fora long time. Brian Flores walked over
and that's kind of when you knew, like this is this is not a
good thing. The cart came over, but ultimately he ended up like limping
off the field. And then Iheard pretty quickly after that like it's a
knee. There's gonna be tests.And as we left the field, he
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was on the cart. I thinkto go get tests. And I heard
once I got back to my apartmentthat it was it was an acl yep,
so it you know. I didn'ttweet about it, but I talked
about it in the first segment wherelike Jalen Williams all right at the corner
from Indiana. In the second yearwe got practice squad and there stuff like
that, there was something I likedabout him last year or either got put
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on him by somebody who matters tome. They pulled a Caleb in some
some game that I can't it mighthave been I can't remember which game,
but it was like a cab wasjust getting torch. Yeah, and all
of a sudden, I remember,in like the third quarter in the regular
season. Yes, all of asudden, Jleb Williams is out there and
it's like, what is A Calebwas just on the sideline with the helmet,
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which I think it was at thattime. It was a reflection of
how poorly A Caleb was playing thegame. Right, I'll let play thirteen
snaps in the Lions game. Actuallyit was both Lions games. First when
he played thirteen snaps. The seasonfinale he played eleven. Yeah, and
I'll let you get back to JoeWinns. But like, I'm just going
to say, I don't have much. Yeah, I'm just going to say
up front, like this guy isnot if you're relying on Jalen Williams at
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this point in his second year ofhis career on defense, like, well,
there's a difference between relying on somebodyand having somebody make the active roster,
which would be quite big for theformer Hoosier, and obviously with a
player like that, special teams isgoing to be the a topic. I
have no idea you know how wellor poorly he played special teams. I
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just thought he looked a little moreathletic yesterday then, you know, and
I've seen him in the off season. Just looks a little more athletic than
I remember from last year. AJGreen the third no relation to I think
it's RDL Jeremiah Green, ten thyfive hundred yards, seventy touchdowns Bengals and
Cars. I didn't know that.I learned that, and then that was
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all before black Men went down.Now, so you know, as the
current situation appears, Griffin, MurphyShelley, you got the duke, that's
right. They brought the duke in. Okay, Well, I think the
Duke's gonna prove it without question.He's all right. I mean, Duke
Shelley's not for some reason. AndI say this in kindness to the Vikings
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fans, who I absolutely love theirpassion, but they will fixate on certain
players that are like like Dalton Reisneris the best guard since nineteen eighty four,
and like Duke Shelley is a heroamong men, and now he made
cushion berries the next Walter Jond DukeShelley I remember in twenty twenty two against
the Buffalo Bills. Yeah, madean incredible pass to fletch the end zone
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against Dawson Knox and came up bigwhen they needed him too. But again,
I mean, he's more proven thanJaylen Williams. But if you're relying
on Duke Shelley on that was yourfirst year twenty twenty two, that was
Did you attend that road game?I did? That was It was one
of the greatest. I remember mydad text me after, like, remember
that this is not going to happenvery frequently in your career doing this.
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But see, it's strange because soso you were in Buffalo. I was
because I didn't see you in Cincinnatilast year. I always loved that,
So I wasn't sure if maybe itwas budgetary. It was bally sports nor
wedding friends. Oh, I knowyou may I know the friends thing for
you. I had a buddy athome had a wedding and I look,
the editors were not happy about thatone, but I missed. Yeah,
it was a massive game, butI watched on TV that Brandon first year.
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No, it was a second year. It was resting on his metaphorical
laurels. I was watching with mydad at home in Alabama when Brandon Powell
push pushed yeah unsuccessfully. Remember,Oh I remember it? Yeah? Hell
was that? But I back tothe cornerback situation, like in my opinion
and just talking to some people internallylike they've got you gotta add. I
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mean there's obviously, and the questionis, I mean what type of play
they have not added this offseason andreally a ton over the over over Quasioto
Famensa's time here, they have notadded like a ton of older veteran guys
who are kind of past the hillon just like one year situations. It's
been. Most of their signings areyoung with upside on short term deals that
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maybe can pan out into the future. But I think in this situation you
have to look at like a StefanGilmour who has experience with Brian Flores in
New England where it's just like wejust they just need you just need a
proven, experienced body signed Gilmour anduh Nordo pulls the audio from the Indie
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game where him I'm like justin Jeffersonshould punch him in the face. You
know, every time you bring upthat, Every time you bring up that
game, and I'm not gonna playit now, but I'm gonna play the
I gotta play the Trey Blake audioevery single time. Oh Trey Blake,
the raft in that game. I'mgonna play it every single time. But
that was what I was gonna askbecause you start playing that game. And
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when we had liber and Studio kindof talking about the situation of perceived windows
and such in a window that isgetting a little precarious for the Niners right
now, cap space considerations of notjust this year but future years, and
the ability in somewhat hull hum fashionto reassign Christian Derisa. The ability to
do so and get that done soquickly and get ahead of it was predicated
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on what Quasi did this last offseasonand letting people go getting more flexible into
the future. And you start toplay the name Name game, everybody's going
to immediately go Xavi and Howard andmake that connection with Flores, which totally
makes sense, but you know what, is he a one year gun for
a higher type of play, Andthen you get into Jordan mind him,
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I'd love to have Zavian, butwhat's the cost this year, which maybe
is a little more flexible in comparisonto what they want to commit to in
the future for a thirty one yearold. Yep. So you start playing
those games and things get things getreal. You know, Pat Pete still
out there, Patrick Peterson still there. But where I was eventually, and
I was trying to get to,is there's a cornerback and I don't have
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his name in front of me.The Rams just lost a corner to a
torn acl yesterday as well, Soit's almost like there's there's some urgency that's
being created and so something probably shouldbe done sooner than later. Where do
you sit with that, Alex,I think so, I mean, I
just don't think you have the timeright now to really wait. And I
felt similarly prior to the Mackay injuryyesterday. I felt like that about the
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wide receiver three situation, Like Ijust I mean, we'll see what happens
with Jordan Adison, But part ofme thinks, like, if Addison is
not available and you don't have Hockinsonto start the season, your three wide
receivers would have been Justin Jefferson,Jalen Naylor if he says healthy, and
Brandon Powell, I mean those otherthose other two guys besides Justin probably can't
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separate that well, and so defenseswould load up and coverage against Justin.
And then if you're not running thefootball well, like the offense that we've
talked about surrounding Sam Darnold with allthese weapons, like, it's not that
formidable of an offense. So Ifelt like that they needed to add at
wide receiver three like quickly now withcornerback. That to me a sins to
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the number one priority that has tohappen soon. I mean they've got enough
bodies like for training camp. AndShaq Griffin, I will say out there,
like he looks pretty spry, He'slooked good, he's looked competitive.
He's been injured in the last coupleof years, right, so this is
kind of the first time, maybein one or two years, that he
had a full off season of health. Yes, And and I mean Byron
Murphy has dealt with injuries a lottoo, So I mean just the depth
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again, a Caleb Evans, maybehe'll get an opportunity like I got to
I'm just speaking from what I've seenand what I've taught people I've talked to
you, Like, I have zeroconfidence and this is gonna be aggregated that
Caleb Evans is gonna is like afruit is gonna be really successful as a
cornerback this year. I just don't. I just can't rely on that at
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all. Andrew boot Junior, Ifeel even worse about so to me to
the question, Nordo, like,yeah, I think you got to add
somebody who is experience improven in someregard soon and you can talk about the
cat space and looking forward. Butlike if I mean, you gotta have
enough talent on this team to competeor else it's I mean, you got
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a GM and a head coach intheir third year. I can't just be
a train wreck. How fast isKwasiadopa Adolpho Mensa Blane right now? Jefferson
signed, Darisaw signed, still twentyone under the cap. Yeah, I
mean I wrote earlier this week likejust tapping to you with the gyrations,
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Are you okay? Yeah? Iam. And I give him a lot
of credit that they got the dealsdone and there wasn't any noise and it's
great, But like, I alsocan't not think that these two extensions,
these massive dollar deals were given theguys that he inherited. So I mean,
as much as I'll give Quacy credit, and they handled it and there
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wasn't noise, not hoopla, likeat some point you have to bring in
you have to bring in guys ofyour own like there. And if you
look at these draft picks of thelast two years, it is just a
sea of not Addison. Addison hasbeen successful on the field, yeah,
and ty Tandler I think has upside. I see what you're saying, But
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I mean, at some point,if you're gonna build this thing the right
way and JJ McCarthy, if youget that right, then it gets everything
right. But yeah, I'll giveQuacy credit for getting those deals done,
no question about it. Now I'msaying he's playing fast with recognition, you
know, and maybe it's not overtlypublic, but I believe Caraycy to be
quite the self aware and it andhis first year well, I mean the
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draft was basically an unqualified disaster.That's correct. Well, there also have
been alterations to his drafting approach thenext two years, Okay, and then
there also has been an alteration andaudible so to speak, for somebody who
cut their teeth in the stock world. Okay, so that's what do you
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do there. You buy high andyou sell low. You work with commodities
that have past performances at a certainlevel, college players taking Friday and Saturday.
I mean, it's it is aI mean, I did a whole
story about how the draft is random. Yeah, like no, But I'm
saying that it makes sense for thestock guy to look at the past performances
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of all the free agents he broughtin this year and say, the probability
of them succeeding because I've seen themsucceed at this level is greater than draft
picks and or Saturday. So youknow what, I'm not going to disrespect
the draft or throw all my picksaway. These some of these don't mean
as much to me, especially certainyears, in certain drafts, as what
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I believe the probability will add upto from what I know and see.
That's accurate, and I do andI do want to I do want to
say that from a cat perspective,from a cat perspective, and from their
vision standpoint. In terms of whenKoisi Atopha Minsa and Kevin O'Connell got here.
They have done that. I mean, they had this vision that they
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wanted to ultimately draft a quarterback andbuild that way, and they've gotten to
that place. They haven't won aplayoff game. They didn't make the playoffs.
Uh, and then last year theinjuries and every I mean, it
was just a wild year. Butthey are at a place that I think
they wanted to get to when theyfirst took over, which is to have
a young quarterback and be able toto to pay incredible talent around them.
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Now, my the aspect that Igo to is like, at some point,
yes, you're when you're when you'resigning a player in free agency,
you're definitely there's a much higher probabilitythat you know what you're getting than when
you draft a player, right,But to build the roster optimally, you
have to have a mix. Yeah, and the draft weighs heavily because of
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the contract, the performance value thatyou get with with what you're paying those
guys. I agree so as muchas like, yeah, he's just the
problem that the Niners are having rightnow. I mean, they got all
those guys on fact checks. Thebest way for them to improve that team
is going to be influencing it viathe draft, and if they can't do
that, that's a house of cardsin the bank. Well, I mean,
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that's a double edged sword for them. You're right, You're absolutely right.
But if you're going to be pickingin the high twenties to the low
thirties the majority of the time,you know that that factors into it too.
Well. I mean, and hadthey not, had they not drafted
Rock Purty and and him have beenwhat he's been and then surround him the
way they have, they wouldn't havebeen able to push the credit card the
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line what they did as far rightthey did. Would you give him a
lot of credit for no questions?An unfair hypothetical. I mean, when
you ask we talked about Quac again. I want to give them credit for
them kind of getting this place withthe vision that they've had, and they've
gotten there, and they drafted thequarterback and we'll see how that works out.
And I want to give them creditfor the fact that they got these
extensions done with the guys they hadto get extensions done with without the hooplus
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surrounding them. But I don't wantto just I guess Alan, when I
say somebody's playing fast, it doesn'tmean like he's on an Hof trajectory.
It's again, the first draft wasawful, with all due respect, and
the identity into it is antithetical toany general manager higher in the history of
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the NFL. So how long isthis going to take to morph? And
I'm saying within the last year I'veseen it morph. And it does not
morph unless somebody self awareness, unlesssomebody is willing to say And I don't
know he says stuff like this,but he seems to be the kind of
guy like my bad, you know, like that's big in that building,
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man, my bad culpability. Andit reminds me of the Philadelphia game last
year, Week two, where Ihad my binoculars on Brian Flores on the
sideline after DeVante Smith got behind somebodyand for a sixty whatever yard touchdown,
and I'm watching Buyer Murphy running offthe field yelling, and I had no
idea what was happening. So thenI went to the sideline and I saw
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Murphy and Flores come together, andMurphy's hot and Flora's just kept tapping his
chest. My bad, my bad. There was a mix up in communication.
You know, it's not everybody canplay the game the way somebody would
write a story without prepositional phrases orsplit infinitives or non essential clauses. Not
everybody's capable of doing that on agame by game or story by story basis.
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Mike Florio's on the nine to noonshow. He's in studio at KFA.
N Well, I I just Ilook at this. It's just it's
a tail of two quasis right now, and and and it needs to become
one because what he has done overthe last six months has put this team
in a stable on a stable platformto grow from. No question, but
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but the cannibalization of next year's draftpicks. Uh that can be offset maybe
for one year via free agency andsuch, but ultimately you know, whether
it's it's Lewis scene. He hadno idea about the injury that would take
place in London. Yeah, buthe didn't just Saint Louis wasn't working the
first year. He was not.No but but his third round pick from
a year ago, and Makai Blackmanhas now been lost to an ACL his
(22:41):
fourth round rookie corner and a lotof buzz surrounding that sadly loses his life.
Uh, that those are things thatare definitely outside of his control.
And so but but all in all, the draft in itself needs to become
more of a priority. It's it'sa it's a mix of two quasis here
the financial side, seeing the numbersgame, Uh, he's five miles ahead
(23:02):
of us. But on the draftside of things, let's let's start hitting
some guys. And I don't thinkit's fair, you know, to to
even look at even last year's draftyet and say now, now, if
Jay Ward produces nothing other than falsestarts on special teams plays, again we
can have that conversation, what isup with cha Quayle and Roy et cetera.
And again we're talking about day threeguys. But by the end of
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things, you know, JJ McCarthy, we need to know the solid development
plan for him. That was ana topic for this franchise. They have
accomplished. Agree with that and I'mexcited about that. But Dallas Turner needs
to come in and be potentially defensiverookie of the year. And that's how
again the tail of two Quaysy's thenumber side looks good, right, now
that the development side needs to topick up the pens. Well, I
mean all I said to trigger thisfifteen minute conversation paying fast was signing Jefferson
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and Darisaw and still being twenty oneunder the capah Quaysy's playing fast. I
didn't mean to. I didn't mean, oh, but by the way,
off that terrible draft, they didwin thirteen games and they were going to
win a bunch of games last yearif the quarterback stay stays upright. So
that needs to be part of theconversation too. Is that you know which
(24:12):
I say, You're right, youneed to be the prioritizing the draft or
however you want to phrase it,hitting on a majority of your picks like
Brett Beach does or whatever. Yes, for sure, I'm simply saying when
you are of a stock trading backgroundand that's what you're really really, really,
(24:33):
really really good at, and lookingat the way the trades win in
the draft this year, the waythe picks went by the wayside, and
the laundry list of free agents,I just sense that something's morphine, that
there's a change within his direction.If you go back to the beginning of
the offseason and you said they woulddefinitely definitely move off Kirk, they would
(24:55):
draft the quarterback of the future,they would draft a potential edge rushing star
in Dallas turn. They would signa bunch of free agents who have upside,
uh, and they would extend JustinJefferson and Christen Darres. So you
say, damn, like somebody's playingfast. Yeah, yea, that works
Yeah, funny how that works out? That? No, that's that's true.
(25:15):
Like, I give him a lotof credit for the place they've gotten
in the vision that they had,that they've gotten to. I just I
mean, and maybe it's maybe it'sme being a little like like I don't
know, like all right now fromthe heart, but they just I mean
since I've been here, they evenwon a playoff game. So I mean,
it has to stuff has to continueto work out. For as much
as I give them credit for theway they've operated, that's that's just That's
(25:37):
That's where I'm at. Yeah,I guess he's playing funny how we got
back to that? Right? Ina year from now, they could have
their m V three, right,I mean, just think about the point
the difference between like the the therole that Brett Veach was on he didn't
hit on every draft pick, ClydeEdwards, hilarry did, I mean think
about it? But he hit ona handful that have exploded. Right.
(25:59):
That's the you know, playing inthe margins with our general manager. The
difference between a great GM and aguy that gets fired is just a handful
of picks that hit. And forour sake and really for quasis, I
hope that he finds those. MikeFlorio Pro Football Talk dot com. The
part of the Sunday Night Football ona MBC team is in studio with us,
(26:19):
with us some very very compelling andtelling Minnesota Vikings conversation. More without
Mike and p f T. Youknow, we around the corner. But
first we got this. The fanin big deck dot com want to give
you a chance to put a grandin your hand with the National Cash Contest.
Use the code money at kf andot com. The keyword is money
at KFA dot I really hope somebodyfrom the NFL offices is listening to us
(27:30):
now on serious XM Radio. TreyBlake and and this staff are awful and
the mistakes they've made today are egregious. And if there's room in the USFL,
the XFL, or the Arenal League. Please send them their post as
man. Oh there's more one.What I mean, Trey Blake can't even
(27:53):
work a mike seriously, I meanthis is embarrassing. Listen. Yeah,
you know, the the one thatwas in control of that last conversation by
laying out something, letting the kidschime in and come up with great takes
and opinions and emotion and flair andsavoir faire and all that. And I
just kind of sat back and letthe surrogates go and then at the end
(28:15):
said, so, yeah, it'swe came back to exactly what surrogate uncle
said. He's playing fast because ofthis. All right, we'll be right
back. Well, that that wasnot bad, That was not controlled.
That was yeah, you were likeme just now in the segment you lost
it. Oh, I tell youwhat, because you know the people and
I ain't going to say their namesif you had been in the voxbox at
(28:40):
US Bank Stadium at halftime of thatgame, when I was sitting back to
my super special chair Muss and andwhomever doing the halftime bit, and I'm
sitting back there fume me. Ijust can't believe what's happening? And then
two people walked in and close tothe relatively close of the situation, Well,
they were fuming more than me.And and the yeah, the what
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we were saying about, not thetotality of the organization, but this moment
like are you kidding me with this? And this guy and that? And
how's this? And why not that? Well that right there, and then
when Stefan Gilmour decided to do KennonNorton junior on Justin Jefferson. That's gonna
(29:26):
be really cool if they signed Gilmore. But all right, three two,
and then the exaltation, I mean, so then you heard that, and
then they stopped Matt Ryan on fourthdown and then they swing left to Dalvin
and he's dragging Rubes into the endzone for about fifteen feet five yards,
and then the exaltation with Pete andI with that, I mean, that
(29:48):
was and it was well, youtalked about the Buffalo game, and that
was unbelievable and it was fun,you know, But the Colts game,
man, the Giants game on ChristmasEve? How about that? I did
some story that year that I sawthey Hodgens never heard of him just killing
this incredible killing us. I waslike, who are you? Yeah?
I did a story that year whereI remember I had like fans send letters
(30:10):
of where they were. It waslike a regular season. I was like
what am I? What is goingon? It was crazy and people enjoyed
it. It was a fun story. But like I think it was I
just got so. I mean,that was my first year. It was
it was such a format. Yeah, it was awesome. Yeah, it
was awesome until you hit Vikings PublicRelations to have Lorenzo Caine said next year,
(30:32):
I always love that in the pressbox at the Roman. PR was
great from the get go. Andthey're still yeah, they're still just a
stiller. So we we are backed. We're back, right, we're back.
Okay, we're wreck you know youknow who else are back? The
aggregators. The aggregators are back.These guys are good aggregating thing, right,
the aggregation station. Right, itwent after one earlier? Did you
(30:56):
well? A little bit not?And I think I know the person I
hope that tightens aggregator has got myteeth. I mean because the Titans,
I mean, we take holy cow, Lloyd Cushion Berry is the greatest player
of all time. Aggregation Titans persuasion, all right, three two, Alex
Lewis, Alec Underscore, Lewis v. The tweet Machine, the Athletic and
(31:18):
the Athletic dot Com, the thethe okay, all right, three two,
and we went over that. Areyou excited? I'm excited for Monday
when the pads go on, You'reever excitable. But I mean that's where,
not necessarily that day, that's wherethe rubber meets the road man,
and and it's you know, it'skind of like, am I gonna put
(31:38):
it? How long you covered theRoyals three years? Yeah? Pads on
for the NFL is kind of thebaseball version of PfP. I always love
that one. It's just very keyas the regular season goes. But see
now the temperatures are gonna a littlehigher. We got some nineties coming up,
and the pads go on, andthey get hot, and they get
(31:59):
cranky, and some aren't in asgood as Jape as others. Not anything
to do with the team, justhow they got here a little while ago.
And that's when people started to getcranky and Rube start to get mad,
and you get La Kwan Treadwell pickingup a corner from North Carolina and
named Jabbari Price and body slamming him. He was so pissed off. Why
(32:19):
because pads had just gone on andmy man was hot and the pads weren't
on yesterday, and there was athere was a Donold pass over the middle
to Justin Jefferson that was deflected byShaq Griffin and he like swatted away and
he was doing this like spanking typeof activity that was ultimately flagged and I
was like, he was riding ahorse. Yeah, he was doing something.
Yeah, I should probably have abetter phrase for it. But I
(32:42):
think the Athletic editors let spanking getin the story, which I was pretty
appreciative. But I don't think I'veever done that before. That's why I
read the Athletics. Yeah, theyadult traded un edited, just kidding,
h But so the pads weren't evenon and it felt yesterday. I could
be honest, like, and Isaid this was awesome this to Kevin Seffer
as we were standing there. ButI was like over near the locker room
(33:05):
and Brian Flores walks out and he'sgot sunglasses on this flat build and he's
doing this slow walking and I'm justwatching him and he's like he's just like
it looked like a lion heading outto like get the and and it was
just like he looked like he wasjust ready to just let it ride.
Right yesterday with how about Florettes,okay, and I talked about this in
(33:30):
the open. I mean, andI'm being serious with this too, about
distractions and just I mean, awfulthings are taking place. Kyrie Jackson and
the death God rest his soul,Jordan Addison in the situation in the car,
and and and Makai Blackman with theacl so unfortunate, yes, foreboding
potentially ominous one hundred percent harbinger tobe determined, but they're going bang bang
(33:58):
bang, and then just just youknow, before the Blackman thing, you're
just thinking, maybe it's gonna stopit. Tune Flores catches astray caught a
stray via PFT from how the Steelersin the league. Like I'm just waking
up trying to raise Jonathan Garnard andDallas Turner and figure out my three technique
and I catch his freaking stray outof nowhere. It's uh yeah, I
(34:19):
mean I think I said after thatwhen the Daresaw extension happened, and they
signed the duke that day. Iwas like, all right, vibes are
yeah, we gotta we got atrend back up here. And then and
then yesterday happens, and like it'sfunny because Nordo had texted me weeks ago
about JJ McCarthy and Dallas Turner notsigning, and he's text and we talked
about it on the radio, buthe's texting me like is it okay?
(34:42):
Are we I'm like the ruben me'sgetting a little worried whatever, and uh
and and so, and I wasthinking about him yesterday. I'm like like,
and I've seen it on Twitter.People are just like, can't have
nice things? This is awful?Why is this have to happen? Can
you catch a break? It's it'sbrutal and obviously the stray comes out of
nowhere. I mean, yeah,I don't want to break down the lawsuit
(35:02):
thing, but nobody was thinking aboutit, talking about it. Nothing was
looming. And then all of asudden, bad things are happening and my
man catches astray. I just didn'tlike him, all right. Uh uh.
This is Alec Lewis with The Athleticand the Athletic dot Com here's a
podcast, by the way, theAlex Lewis Show. Learned more about it
at alec Underscore Lewis via Twitter andsubscribe be you know, hit that ub
(35:27):
button. I'm excited about the podcast, by the way, me too.
I'm uh, it'll be very fun. Got a lot of different people I
want to bring on. So gota sponsor. Uh, I'm also excited.
I've got a story coming Monday thatI'm very excited about that will be
on the Athletic. Wait and thenhow is Drew Rosenhouse chatted with Time.
(35:51):
No, it's a story. Itis a story that missed a straddle because
I sent some time. I spentsome time uh last week in Chicago's folks.
Excellent, Uh that people enjoy Ithink here. So he wrote a
feature on Courtney Cronin. I can'twait. No, we've already butchered the
straddle because of your hyperactivity. Sowe're gonna say, uh, goodbye for
(36:12):
right now. We're gonna come backfor the final segment and we're gonna have
a good time with y a youngAlex. But seriously, U that podcast
with Robert May super well respected NFLmind. He works with the Athletic check
that out. That's the debut forthe Alex Lewis Show and again. Learn
more via Twitter or YouTube. Ican't wait. I can't wait until tomorrow.
(36:37):
Tomorrow mine very well, be truly, I can't wait. I can't
wait until tomorrow. Cris tomorrow,Canelico? What when? When? When
(36:59):
do you you get to Cleveland?The thirteenth or the fourteenth, Tuesday of
that week? Okay? Good,Yeah, that's the day I believe the
team flies out. Okay, andthen when or maybe whatever day the thirteenth
is, I think is when wefly and then the practices are the next
two days and then like a chillFriday. Yeah, all right, Well
here's the deal, Nordo, areyou going on that trip? I'm not,
(37:21):
man, I'm going to Philly,but I'm not going to Cleveland,
got it? All right? Sonow all of a sudden, yeah,
you are going out on Tuesday.I'm going to be doing three radio shows,
two maybe three at the team hotel. Okay, So we've got to
figure a way to get you overthere. They're gonna let me in there,
Spearfish Sammy Tuesday. That is it? Yeah, yeah, extra mit,
(37:44):
I don't know, I know,And I'm not going to overstep my
boundaries here and like give out passeson the radio. That's you know,
I don't do things like that.But uh, I'm just letting you know
that I will be doing at leasta couple of radio shows there and we'd
love to have you around. I'dlove to be there. You let me
know when I'm excited those joint practicethat will be very fun. I don't
(38:04):
understand why you wouldn't why you wouldbe able to come into the t CEO
Radio studio, which is in thein the bowels of the facility. It's
off limits to pretty much everybody unlessyou know, unless you're credentialed or a
radio partner or whatever. And uhthen all of a sudden, I can't
have you in the ballroom next tothe next to the cafeteria. Yeah,
they might not let me in theTCO Radio studio. The podcast is going
(38:29):
to have to probably hit it prettygood for them to let me in there.
We'll see, we'll figure it out, all right. Well, we
the nine to noon show is outthere Monday and Friday next week, so
love to have you one of them, for sure. Of course, we
are at Twin City's orthopedics performance.It'll be hot out there next week.
I know. That's why we're goingto be doing the show indoors. That
is correct, Old mart Old peoplehave remember last year, the the like
(38:54):
the production stuff like zapped. Peoplehave an intent tendency to sweat. You
were like waving us three to oneto two. You were waving it like
Brian Angelico, the tight Ends coach. Hey, Brian, Josh Oliver,
pick your poison. And then itwas like right right, all right,
(39:14):
bless you my brother, Tell yourfather John, I say, hi,
I will great to see you guys. You too, men, and it's
even better to know we're back.We're back. That's Alec Lewis. I'm
Paul Allen Briday. Football Feast Tomorrowfeatures Wes Durham, the play by play
voice for the Atlanta Falcons, asthe Friend on Foes Friends on Foes series
(39:36):
continues. Plus we'll have much more, including Paul Charchia. Everybody, have
a great day. Hopefully see youtonight at Canterbury Park, first race at
five o'clock. And here is thecon to put a rap on the show.
Wraps on the show always brought toyou by Casey's Food and Funeral Awards
with Casey's rewards that it'll lead PizzaThin and original Cross Cases is the best
go to one today non to noonwhere we always play fast Man. We'll
(39:59):
skipping through the ads, never livingin the past. In the Hope Selling
game, It's an all star castand they played the games though please don't
run last. It was a snippyback and forth on Quasi Different Shades of
Gray with the Rasplake Macy judging draftpicks, trying not to be hasty.
It's short season, got the hosta bit pasty. Lieber and studio man.
(40:20):
He's the best on a station fullof Bridge trolls. He was best
Ivan Pace and the Green Dots soimpressed and I got my head scratched.
In with Addison's arrest, the rivercrests and begins to ebb. The show's
done. We're low energy like JebTomorrow, more adversarial intel. We're feasting
with Charge our resident Incel. We'llcome in, We'll come in. Podcast
(40:45):
Today's Paul Allen Show. We're listeningback to previous show and interviews. I
go into the iHeartRadio app or kfandot com
Man, okay you horror Yeah.Nine to Now we're back to the radio
(00:32):
show. I've been one hunderd pointthree A F A M. Eric Nordquist
is the producer and I'm Paul Allen. Joining us now in studio is Alec
Lewis at Alec Underscore Lewis via thetweet Machine. Also he of the podcasting
variety. We have the Alec LewisShow. It's a Viking's podcast. It
(00:55):
just popped within the last week ora couple of days ago. Robert's super
well respected NFL mind from the Athleticis the first guest. You can subscribe
to it and like the YouTubers liketo say, you know, go on
to hit that sub button and makesure to hit that bell so anytime something
pops up, you know what's rightthere in your fee. Is that what
(01:17):
they say? That's what they say. I've never heard that YouTube Apple Spotify.
It is the Alec Lewis Show.One episode into it. That's that's
pretty cool. You're gonna come onsoon if you'll have me. I mean,
what do you mean if I'll haveyou? Anytime you want? Nordo,
will you come to my house sowe can do it? Yeah,
I know, Mann, that soundslike a weird. That's kind of a
(01:38):
weird. That's breaking like the fourthwall and will you coach, will you
come to my house? Okay,it's good to see if you guys are
making me sound like charge in thepulp fiction or whatever the movie was with
the gim like all of a suddwe're gonna open the door and out comes
the cartoon character ANNOUNCERR to do thepodcast. No, I'd love to have
you. No, I appreciate youtalking about it. I've been to his
(02:00):
house. My kids have soiled hishot tub. There's Jimmy cold cuts is
wandering around. They didn't have soillast they didn't soil it. Now the
kids are eight, correct eight,they're nine now nine, So we're gonna
say they're about four four or five'sabout four or five years sure, And
I mean it's now. The kidsaren't supposed to be cognizant of this.
(02:21):
But at four, no, they'rewalking around, you know, and they're
like a lot of pebbles and dirtand cotton and stuff on the bottom of
their feet. Hey, girls,good jump right in head on it.
Yeah, And the Nordo jumped inand Pete in my hot tub and I
had to clean the sucker. That'swhy you have eggsbum took Like, wow,
the producer strikes back and so yeah, that's that's all part of that.
(02:45):
Where's that? Where's that? Wonderful? Oh? Here it is?
Hold on all right? Three two. Sam Darnold just drilled Justin Jefferson on
deep Pa, which is action overthe top, fifty plus in the air,
beautiful ball. Justin caught it andskipped around. You love that we're
(03:08):
back. I love the No.No, it's a compliment. When you
can feel the happiness, positivity,negativity, sorrow or sadness in a tweet,
it's a good tweet. Well,people can't be out there, so
like this time, until the fanscan be out there, I want to
(03:30):
give people the image we were outthere yesterday. You were out there,
but I'm darting fan objective media journalists, uh no. So I want to
give people the vibe. And Ialso like, I'm having a hell of
a time. I'm I was listeningto your show and I was listening to
Titans guy earlier today, who madethe Titans sound like the eighty five Bears
(03:50):
mixed with Vince Lombardi mix. Imean talked about Lloyd Cushion Berry like he
was the greatest offensive lineman to everwalk the face of the earth. And
I'm in my car like, holycow. But I got home and I'm
like, oh man, it wasfun listening to that. And I'm walking
to my apartment knowing I'm coming here, and I've got chills, like I'm
excited. I I die. Itwas beautiful. It was beautiful. It
(04:12):
looked like a real NFL play,right, it was beautiful. I gotta
tell you, any griddy, whydo you go to skippy? We were
back. I think it was like, Holy cow, Sam just threw a
I mean it was a I wassurprised you're saying no. I mean it
was just a hell of a past. And I will say that earlier in
the practice, Alec, We've seenDarnold do something like that to other people
about ten times this offseason. Youknow, it's not the first time he's
(04:35):
connected deep on it. Don Idon't know, but I will say Andrew
Booth was like seven thousand yards behindJustin Jefferson. It was as if it
was as if Andrew Booth forgot thatwhen the ball is snapped you have to
move. Well, how do youknow it wasn't somebody else's fault? What
are your pro football focused? Well, I didn't have releasing the grades on
a Sunday night off the TV copy. Well that it is like that is
(04:57):
one challenge of watching practices. Youdon't get the replay and you realize how
reliant you are in your evaluation ofreplay. So so there are times where
I don't really like, I'm like, I think that was it. I
mean, I I guess I saythis very kindly to Andrew Booth, but
if he's anywhere near the play,it's probably his fault, right, Yeah,
it was his fault. You couldtell there's a byet. I mean,
(05:18):
yeah, I could. I understandwhat you're saying, and I say
it nicely. Well, but see, then it ties into the the you
know, the Vikings have not confirmedBlackman's a c I've confirmed it. I
understand that, but the team hasn'tconfirmed it, right, No, they
haven't put anything out. Yeah,I mean it's in the in the pecking
order when it comes to validity oraccuracy or you know, the the with
(05:43):
stuff like this, it's the thepecking order of when I'm surging around.
It goes like dot Com, TomBellisaro Schefter, Glazer, Misjutani, Guessling,
Doogie Seafert. And then when whenyou validated him, Nordo and I
both signed off on it. So, I mean, we got too many
(06:05):
strong people in that stable to believeit didn't happen. No, I'm just
glad you included me in that list, to be honest. Yeah, I
look, Jolly Smith covers the Wild, but I was also looking to hear
what he had to say about it. Yeah for sure. I mean,
I uh, you know, Idon't traffic and breaking news all the time.
It's not really what I like todo. I like telling stories and
(06:26):
I like allowing people, through mywriting to get close to what we get
to see every day. But yeah, I I ent young Blood added first.
Some of these people I don't know. Am I supposed to know?
I've known him for years. Okay, well that was a nice view.
But uh yeah, no, II yeah, I right after a few
minutes after. I mean, itwas a really interesting deal. It was
(06:48):
a seven on seven rep and allof a sudden, like you kind of
saw someone go down. I wasn'ttotally locked into it and Kevin Seafert of
ESPN was standing right next to meand they were talking about it, and
I kind of looked over and Makaiwas on the ground for a while,
and Tyler Williams who's the director ofhealth, and doctor Cotesia who was the
(07:09):
one who told Kirk Cousins that hehad the torn achilles. They were over
there with Mikayle on the ground fora long time. Brian Flores walked over
and that's kind of when you knew, like this is this is not a
good thing. The cart came over, but ultimately he ended up like limping
off the field. And then Iheard pretty quickly after that like it's a
knee. There's gonna be tests.And as we left the field, he
(07:30):
was on the cart. I thinkto go get tests. And I heard
once I got back to my apartmentthat it was it was an acl yep,
so it you know. I didn'ttweet about it, but I talked
about it in the first segment wherelike Jalen Williams all right at the corner
from Indiana. In the second yearwe got practice squad and there stuff like
that, there was something I likedabout him last year or either got put
(07:51):
on him by somebody who matters tome. They pulled a Caleb in some
some game that I can't it mighthave been I can't remember which game,
but it was like a cab wasjust getting torch. Yeah, and all
of a sudden, I remember,in like the third quarter in the regular
season. Yes, all of asudden, Jleb Williams is out there and
it's like, what is A Calebwas just on the sideline with the helmet,
(08:11):
which I think it was at thattime. It was a reflection of
how poorly A Caleb was playing thegame. Right, I'll let play thirteen
snaps in the Lions game. Actuallyit was both Lions games. First when
he played thirteen snaps. The seasonfinale he played eleven. Yeah, and
I'll let you get back to JoeWinns. But like, I'm just going
to say, I don't have much. Yeah, I'm just going to say
up front, like this guy isnot if you're relying on Jalen Williams at
(08:35):
this point in his second year ofhis career on defense, like, well,
there's a difference between relying on somebodyand having somebody make the active roster,
which would be quite big for theformer Hoosier, and obviously with a
player like that, special teams isgoing to be the a topic. I
have no idea you know how wellor poorly he played special teams. I
(08:58):
just thought he looked a little moreathletic yesterday then, you know, and
I've seen him in the off season. Just looks a little more athletic than
I remember from last year. AJGreen the third no relation to I think
it's RDL Jeremiah Green, ten thyfive hundred yards, seventy touchdowns Bengals and
Cars. I didn't know that.I learned that, and then that was
(09:18):
all before black Men went down.Now, so you know, as the
current situation appears, Griffin, MurphyShelley, you got the duke, that's
right. They brought the duke in. Okay, Well, I think the
Duke's gonna prove it without question.He's all right. I mean, Duke
Shelley's not for some reason. AndI say this in kindness to the Vikings
(09:41):
fans, who I absolutely love theirpassion, but they will fixate on certain
players that are like like Dalton Reisneris the best guard since nineteen eighty four,
and like Duke Shelley is a heroamong men, and now he made
cushion berries the next Walter Jond DukeShelley I remember in twenty twenty two against
the Buffalo Bills. Yeah, madean incredible pass to fletch the end zone
(10:03):
against Dawson Knox and came up bigwhen they needed him too. But again,
I mean, he's more proven thanJaylen Williams. But if you're relying
on Duke Shelley on that was yourfirst year twenty twenty two, that was
Did you attend that road game?I did? That was It was one
of the greatest. I remember mydad text me after, like, remember
that this is not going to happenvery frequently in your career doing this.
(10:24):
But see, it's strange because soso you were in Buffalo. I was
because I didn't see you in Cincinnatilast year. I always loved that,
So I wasn't sure if maybe itwas budgetary. It was bally sports nor
wedding friends. Oh, I knowyou may I know the friends thing for
you. I had a buddy athome had a wedding and I look,
the editors were not happy about thatone, but I missed. Yeah,
it was a massive game, butI watched on TV that Brandon first year.
(10:48):
No, it was a second year. It was resting on his metaphorical
laurels. I was watching with mydad at home in Alabama when Brandon Powell
push pushed yeah unsuccessfully. Remember,Oh I remember it? Yeah? Hell
was that? But I back tothe cornerback situation, like in my opinion
and just talking to some people internallylike they've got you gotta add. I
(11:11):
mean there's obviously, and the questionis, I mean what type of play
they have not added this offseason andreally a ton over the over over Quasioto
Famensa's time here, they have notadded like a ton of older veteran guys
who are kind of past the hillon just like one year situations. It's
been. Most of their signings areyoung with upside on short term deals that
(11:35):
maybe can pan out into the future. But I think in this situation you
have to look at like a StefanGilmour who has experience with Brian Flores in
New England where it's just like wejust they just need you just need a
proven, experienced body signed Gilmour anduh Nordo pulls the audio from the Indie
(11:58):
game where him I'm like justin Jeffersonshould punch him in the face. You
know, every time you bring upthat, Every time you bring up that
game, and I'm not gonna playit now, but I'm gonna play the
I gotta play the Trey Blake audioevery single time. Oh Trey Blake,
the raft in that game. I'mgonna play it every single time. But
that was what I was gonna askbecause you start playing that game. And
(12:18):
when we had liber and Studio kindof talking about the situation of perceived windows
and such in a window that isgetting a little precarious for the Niners right
now, cap space considerations of notjust this year but future years, and
the ability in somewhat hull hum fashionto reassign Christian Derisa. The ability to
do so and get that done soquickly and get ahead of it was predicated
(12:41):
on what Quasi did this last offseasonand letting people go getting more flexible into
the future. And you start toplay the name Name game, everybody's going
to immediately go Xavi and Howard andmake that connection with Flores, which totally
makes sense, but you know what, is he a one year gun for
a higher type of play, Andthen you get into Jordan mind him,
(13:01):
I'd love to have Zavian, butwhat's the cost this year, which maybe
is a little more flexible in comparisonto what they want to commit to in
the future for a thirty one yearold. Yep. So you start playing
those games and things get things getreal. You know, Pat Pete still
out there, Patrick Peterson still there. But where I was eventually, and
I was trying to get to,is there's a cornerback and I don't have
(13:22):
his name in front of me.The Rams just lost a corner to a
torn acl yesterday as well, Soit's almost like there's there's some urgency that's
being created and so something probably shouldbe done sooner than later. Where do
you sit with that, Alex,I think so, I mean, I
just don't think you have the timeright now to really wait. And I
felt similarly prior to the Mackay injuryyesterday. I felt like that about the
(13:46):
wide receiver three situation, Like Ijust I mean, we'll see what happens
with Jordan Adison, But part ofme thinks, like, if Addison is
not available and you don't have Hockinsonto start the season, your three wide
receivers would have been Justin Jefferson,Jalen Naylor if he says healthy, and
Brandon Powell, I mean those otherthose other two guys besides Justin probably can't
(14:09):
separate that well, and so defenseswould load up and coverage against Justin.
And then if you're not running thefootball well, like the offense that we've
talked about surrounding Sam Darnold with allthese weapons, like, it's not that
formidable of an offense. So Ifelt like that they needed to add at
wide receiver three like quickly now withcornerback. That to me a sins to
(14:30):
the number one priority that has tohappen soon. I mean they've got enough
bodies like for training camp. AndShaq Griffin, I will say out there,
like he looks pretty spry, He'slooked good, he's looked competitive.
He's been injured in the last coupleof years, right, so this is
kind of the first time, maybein one or two years, that he
had a full off season of health. Yes, And and I mean Byron
Murphy has dealt with injuries a lottoo, So I mean just the depth
(14:52):
again, a Caleb Evans, maybehe'll get an opportunity like I got to
I'm just speaking from what I've seenand what I've taught people I've talked to
you, Like, I have zeroconfidence and this is gonna be aggregated that
Caleb Evans is gonna is like afruit is gonna be really successful as a
cornerback this year. I just don't. I just can't rely on that at
(15:15):
all. Andrew boot Junior, Ifeel even worse about so to me to
the question, Nordo, like,yeah, I think you got to add
somebody who is experience improven in someregard soon and you can talk about the
cat space and looking forward. Butlike if I mean, you gotta have
enough talent on this team to competeor else it's I mean, you got
(15:35):
a GM and a head coach intheir third year. I can't just be
a train wreck. How fast isKwasiadopa Adolpho Mensa Blane right now? Jefferson
signed, Darisaw signed, still twentyone under the cap. Yeah, I
mean I wrote earlier this week likejust tapping to you with the gyrations,
(15:58):
Are you okay? Yeah? Iam. And I give him a lot
of credit that they got the dealsdone and there wasn't any noise and it's
great, But like, I alsocan't not think that these two extensions,
these massive dollar deals were given theguys that he inherited. So I mean,
as much as I'll give Quacy credit, and they handled it and there
(16:19):
wasn't noise, not hoopla, likeat some point you have to bring in
you have to bring in guys ofyour own like there. And if you
look at these draft picks of thelast two years, it is just a
sea of not Addison. Addison hasbeen successful on the field, yeah,
and ty Tandler I think has upside. I see what you're saying, But
(16:41):
I mean, at some point,if you're gonna build this thing the right
way and JJ McCarthy, if youget that right, then it gets everything
right. But yeah, I'll giveQuacy credit for getting those deals done,
no question about it. Now I'msaying he's playing fast with recognition, you
know, and maybe it's not overtlypublic, but I believe Caraycy to be
quite the self aware and it andhis first year well, I mean the
(17:03):
draft was basically an unqualified disaster.That's correct. Well, there also have
been alterations to his drafting approach thenext two years, Okay, and then
there also has been an alteration andaudible so to speak, for somebody who
cut their teeth in the stock world. Okay, so that's what do you
(17:25):
do there. You buy high andyou sell low. You work with commodities
that have past performances at a certainlevel, college players taking Friday and Saturday.
I mean, it's it is aI mean, I did a whole
story about how the draft is random. Yeah, like no, But I'm
saying that it makes sense for thestock guy to look at the past performances
(17:47):
of all the free agents he broughtin this year and say, the probability
of them succeeding because I've seen themsucceed at this level is greater than draft
picks and or Saturday. So youknow what, I'm not going to disrespect
the draft or throw all my picksaway. These some of these don't mean
as much to me, especially certainyears, in certain drafts, as what
(18:11):
I believe the probability will add upto from what I know and see.
That's accurate, and I do andI do want to I do want to
say that from a cat perspective,from a cat perspective, and from their
vision standpoint. In terms of whenKoisi Atopha Minsa and Kevin O'Connell got here.
They have done that. I mean, they had this vision that they
(18:32):
wanted to ultimately draft a quarterback andbuild that way, and they've gotten to
that place. They haven't won aplayoff game. They didn't make the playoffs.
Uh, and then last year theinjuries and every I mean, it
was just a wild year. Butthey are at a place that I think
they wanted to get to when theyfirst took over, which is to have
a young quarterback and be able toto to pay incredible talent around them.
(18:56):
Now, my the aspect that Igo to is like, at some point,
yes, you're when you're when you'resigning a player in free agency,
you're definitely there's a much higher probabilitythat you know what you're getting than when
you draft a player, right,But to build the roster optimally, you
have to have a mix. Yeah, and the draft weighs heavily because of
(19:17):
the contract, the performance value thatyou get with with what you're paying those
guys. I agree so as muchas like, yeah, he's just the
problem that the Niners are having rightnow. I mean, they got all
those guys on fact checks. Thebest way for them to improve that team
is going to be influencing it viathe draft, and if they can't do
that, that's a house of cardsin the bank. Well, I mean,
(19:37):
that's a double edged sword for them. You're right, You're absolutely right.
But if you're going to be pickingin the high twenties to the low
thirties the majority of the time,you know that that factors into it too.
Well. I mean, and hadthey not, had they not drafted
Rock Purty and and him have beenwhat he's been and then surround him the
way they have, they wouldn't havebeen able to push the credit card the
(20:00):
line what they did as far rightthey did. Would you give him a
lot of credit for no questions?An unfair hypothetical. I mean, when
you ask we talked about Quac again. I want to give them credit for
them kind of getting this place withthe vision that they've had, and they've
gotten there, and they drafted thequarterback and we'll see how that works out.
And I want to give them creditfor the fact that they got these
extensions done with the guys they hadto get extensions done with without the hooplus
(20:23):
surrounding them. But I don't wantto just I guess Alan, when I
say somebody's playing fast, it doesn'tmean like he's on an Hof trajectory.
It's again, the first draft wasawful, with all due respect, and
the identity into it is antithetical toany general manager higher in the history of
(20:48):
the NFL. So how long isthis going to take to morph? And
I'm saying within the last year I'veseen it morph. And it does not
morph unless somebody self awareness, unlesssomebody is willing to say And I don't
know he says stuff like this,but he seems to be the kind of
guy like my bad, you know, like that's big in that building,
(21:08):
man, my bad culpability. Andit reminds me of the Philadelphia game last
year, Week two, where Ihad my binoculars on Brian Flores on the
sideline after DeVante Smith got behind somebodyand for a sixty whatever yard touchdown,
and I'm watching Buyer Murphy running offthe field yelling, and I had no
idea what was happening. So thenI went to the sideline and I saw
(21:30):
Murphy and Flores come together, andMurphy's hot and Flora's just kept tapping his
chest. My bad, my bad. There was a mix up in communication.
You know, it's not everybody canplay the game the way somebody would
write a story without prepositional phrases orsplit infinitives or non essential clauses. Not
everybody's capable of doing that on agame by game or story by story basis.
(21:55):
Mike Florio's on the nine to noonshow. He's in studio at KFA.
N Well, I I just Ilook at this. It's just it's
a tail of two quasis right now, and and and it needs to become
one because what he has done overthe last six months has put this team
in a stable on a stable platformto grow from. No question, but
(22:17):
but the cannibalization of next year's draftpicks. Uh that can be offset maybe
for one year via free agency andsuch, but ultimately you know, whether
it's it's Lewis scene. He hadno idea about the injury that would take
place in London. Yeah, buthe didn't just Saint Louis wasn't working the
first year. He was not.No but but his third round pick from
a year ago, and Makai Blackmanhas now been lost to an ACL his
(22:41):
fourth round rookie corner and a lotof buzz surrounding that sadly loses his life.
Uh, that those are things thatare definitely outside of his control.
And so but but all in all, the draft in itself needs to become
more of a priority. It's it'sa it's a mix of two quasis here
the financial side, seeing the numbersgame, Uh, he's five miles ahead
(23:02):
of us. But on the draftside of things, let's let's start hitting
some guys. And I don't thinkit's fair, you know, to to
even look at even last year's draftyet and say now, now, if
Jay Ward produces nothing other than falsestarts on special teams plays, again we
can have that conversation, what isup with cha Quayle and Roy et cetera.
And again we're talking about day threeguys. But by the end of
(23:22):
things, you know, JJ McCarthy, we need to know the solid development
plan for him. That was ana topic for this franchise. They have
accomplished. Agree with that and I'mexcited about that. But Dallas Turner needs
to come in and be potentially defensiverookie of the year. And that's how
again the tail of two Quaysy's thenumber side looks good, right, now
that the development side needs to topick up the pens. Well, I
mean all I said to trigger thisfifteen minute conversation paying fast was signing Jefferson
(23:48):
and Darisaw and still being twenty oneunder the capah Quaysy's playing fast. I
didn't mean to. I didn't mean, oh, but by the way,
off that terrible draft, they didwin thirteen games and they were going to
win a bunch of games last yearif the quarterback stay stays upright. So
that needs to be part of theconversation too. Is that you know which
(24:12):
I say, You're right, youneed to be the prioritizing the draft or
however you want to phrase it,hitting on a majority of your picks like
Brett Beach does or whatever. Yes, for sure, I'm simply saying when
you are of a stock trading backgroundand that's what you're really really, really,
(24:33):
really really good at, and lookingat the way the trades win in
the draft this year, the waythe picks went by the wayside, and
the laundry list of free agents,I just sense that something's morphine, that
there's a change within his direction.If you go back to the beginning of
the offseason and you said they woulddefinitely definitely move off Kirk, they would
(24:55):
draft the quarterback of the future,they would draft a potential edge rushing star
in Dallas turn. They would signa bunch of free agents who have upside,
uh, and they would extend JustinJefferson and Christen Darres. So you
say, damn, like somebody's playingfast. Yeah, yea, that works
Yeah, funny how that works out? That? No, that's that's true.
(25:15):
Like, I give him a lotof credit for the place they've gotten
in the vision that they had,that they've gotten to. I just I
mean, and maybe it's maybe it'sme being a little like like I don't
know, like all right now fromthe heart, but they just I mean
since I've been here, they evenwon a playoff game. So I mean,
it has to stuff has to continueto work out. For as much
as I give them credit for theway they've operated, that's that's just That's
(25:37):
That's where I'm at. Yeah,I guess he's playing funny how we got
back to that? Right? Ina year from now, they could have
their m V three, right,I mean, just think about the point
the difference between like the the therole that Brett Veach was on he didn't
hit on every draft pick, ClydeEdwards, hilarry did, I mean think
about it? But he hit ona handful that have exploded. Right.
(25:59):
That's the you know, playing inthe margins with our general manager. The
difference between a great GM and aguy that gets fired is just a handful
of picks that hit. And forour sake and really for quasis, I
hope that he finds those. MikeFlorio Pro Football Talk dot com. The
part of the Sunday Night Football ona MBC team is in studio with us,
(26:19):
with us some very very compelling andtelling Minnesota Vikings conversation. More without
Mike and p f T. Youknow, we around the corner. But
first we got this. The fanin big deck dot com want to give
you a chance to put a grandin your hand with the National Cash Contest.
Use the code money at kf andot com. The keyword is money
at KFA dot I really hope somebodyfrom the NFL offices is listening to us
(27:30):
now on serious XM Radio. TreyBlake and and this staff are awful and
the mistakes they've made today are egregious. And if there's room in the USFL,
the XFL, or the Arenal League. Please send them their post as
man. Oh there's more one.What I mean, Trey Blake can't even
(27:53):
work a mike seriously, I meanthis is embarrassing. Listen. Yeah,
you know, the the one thatwas in control of that last conversation by
laying out something, letting the kidschime in and come up with great takes
and opinions and emotion and flair andsavoir faire and all that. And I
just kind of sat back and letthe surrogates go and then at the end
(28:15):
said, so, yeah, it'swe came back to exactly what surrogate uncle
said. He's playing fast because ofthis. All right, we'll be right
back. Well, that that wasnot bad, That was not controlled.
That was yeah, you were likeme just now in the segment you lost
it. Oh, I tell youwhat, because you know the people and
I ain't going to say their namesif you had been in the voxbox at
(28:40):
US Bank Stadium at halftime of thatgame, when I was sitting back to
my super special chair Muss and andwhomever doing the halftime bit, and I'm
sitting back there fume me. Ijust can't believe what's happening? And then
two people walked in and close tothe relatively close of the situation, Well,
they were fuming more than me.And and the yeah, the what
(29:04):
we were saying about, not thetotality of the organization, but this moment
like are you kidding me with this? And this guy and that? And
how's this? And why not that? Well that right there, and then
when Stefan Gilmour decided to do KennonNorton junior on Justin Jefferson. That's gonna
(29:26):
be really cool if they signed Gilmore. But all right, three two,
and then the exaltation, I mean, so then you heard that, and
then they stopped Matt Ryan on fourthdown and then they swing left to Dalvin
and he's dragging Rubes into the endzone for about fifteen feet five yards,
and then the exaltation with Pete andI with that, I mean, that
(29:48):
was and it was well, youtalked about the Buffalo game, and that
was unbelievable and it was fun,you know, But the Colts game,
man, the Giants game on ChristmasEve? How about that? I did
some story that year that I sawthey Hodgens never heard of him just killing
this incredible killing us. I waslike, who are you? Yeah?
I did a story that year whereI remember I had like fans send letters
(30:10):
of where they were. It waslike a regular season. I was like
what am I? What is goingon? It was crazy and people enjoyed
it. It was a fun story. But like I think it was I
just got so. I mean,that was my first year. It was
it was such a format. Yeah, it was awesome. Yeah, it
was awesome until you hit Vikings PublicRelations to have Lorenzo Caine said next year,
(30:32):
I always love that in the pressbox at the Roman. PR was
great from the get go. Andthey're still yeah, they're still just a
stiller. So we we are backed. We're back, right, we're back.
Okay, we're wreck you know youknow who else are back? The
aggregators. The aggregators are back.These guys are good aggregating thing, right,
the aggregation station. Right, itwent after one earlier? Did you
(30:56):
well? A little bit not?And I think I know the person I
hope that tightens aggregator has got myteeth. I mean because the Titans,
I mean, we take holy cow, Lloyd Cushion Berry is the greatest player
of all time. Aggregation Titans persuasion, all right, three two, Alex
Lewis, Alec Underscore, Lewis v. The tweet Machine, the Athletic and
(31:18):
the Athletic dot Com, the thethe okay, all right, three two,
and we went over that. Areyou excited? I'm excited for Monday
when the pads go on, You'reever excitable. But I mean that's where,
not necessarily that day, that's wherethe rubber meets the road man,
and and it's you know, it'skind of like, am I gonna put
(31:38):
it? How long you covered theRoyals three years? Yeah? Pads on
for the NFL is kind of thebaseball version of PfP. I always love
that one. It's just very keyas the regular season goes. But see
now the temperatures are gonna a littlehigher. We got some nineties coming up,
and the pads go on, andthey get hot, and they get
(31:59):
cranky, and some aren't in asgood as Jape as others. Not anything
to do with the team, justhow they got here a little while ago.
And that's when people started to getcranky and Rube start to get mad,
and you get La Kwan Treadwell pickingup a corner from North Carolina and
named Jabbari Price and body slamming him. He was so pissed off. Why
(32:19):
because pads had just gone on andmy man was hot and the pads weren't
on yesterday, and there was athere was a Donold pass over the middle
to Justin Jefferson that was deflected byShaq Griffin and he like swatted away and
he was doing this like spanking typeof activity that was ultimately flagged and I
was like, he was riding ahorse. Yeah, he was doing something.
Yeah, I should probably have abetter phrase for it. But I
(32:42):
think the Athletic editors let spanking getin the story, which I was pretty
appreciative. But I don't think I'veever done that before. That's why I
read the Athletics. Yeah, theyadult traded un edited, just kidding,
h But so the pads weren't evenon and it felt yesterday. I could
be honest, like, and Isaid this was awesome this to Kevin Seffer
as we were standing there. ButI was like over near the locker room
(33:05):
and Brian Flores walks out and he'sgot sunglasses on this flat build and he's
doing this slow walking and I'm justwatching him and he's like he's just like
it looked like a lion heading outto like get the and and it was
just like he looked like he wasjust ready to just let it ride.
Right yesterday with how about Florettes,okay, and I talked about this in
(33:30):
the open. I mean, andI'm being serious with this too, about
distractions and just I mean, awfulthings are taking place. Kyrie Jackson and
the death God rest his soul,Jordan Addison in the situation in the car,
and and and Makai Blackman with theacl so unfortunate, yes, foreboding
potentially ominous one hundred percent harbinger tobe determined, but they're going bang bang
(33:58):
bang, and then just just youknow, before the Blackman thing, you're
just thinking, maybe it's gonna stopit. Tune Flores catches astray caught a
stray via PFT from how the Steelersin the league. Like I'm just waking
up trying to raise Jonathan Garnard andDallas Turner and figure out my three technique
and I catch his freaking stray outof nowhere. It's uh yeah, I
(34:19):
mean I think I said after thatwhen the Daresaw extension happened, and they
signed the duke that day. Iwas like, all right, vibes are
yeah, we gotta we got atrend back up here. And then and
then yesterday happens, and like it'sfunny because Nordo had texted me weeks ago
about JJ McCarthy and Dallas Turner notsigning, and he's text and we talked
about it on the radio, buthe's texting me like is it okay?
(34:42):
Are we I'm like the ruben me'sgetting a little worried whatever, and uh
and and so, and I wasthinking about him yesterday. I'm like like,
and I've seen it on Twitter.People are just like, can't have
nice things? This is awful?Why is this have to happen? Can
you catch a break? It's it'sbrutal and obviously the stray comes out of
nowhere. I mean, yeah,I don't want to break down the lawsuit
(35:02):
thing, but nobody was thinking aboutit, talking about it. Nothing was
looming. And then all of asudden, bad things are happening and my
man catches astray. I just didn'tlike him, all right. Uh uh.
This is Alec Lewis with The Athleticand the Athletic dot Com here's a
podcast, by the way, theAlex Lewis Show. Learned more about it
at alec Underscore Lewis via Twitter andsubscribe be you know, hit that ub
(35:27):
button. I'm excited about the podcast, by the way, me too.
I'm uh, it'll be very fun. Got a lot of different people I
want to bring on. So gota sponsor. Uh, I'm also excited.
I've got a story coming Monday thatI'm very excited about that will be
on the Athletic. Wait and thenhow is Drew Rosenhouse chatted with Time.
(35:51):
No, it's a story. Itis a story that missed a straddle because
I sent some time. I spentsome time uh last week in Chicago's folks.
Excellent, Uh that people enjoy Ithink here. So he wrote a
feature on Courtney Cronin. I can'twait. No, we've already butchered the
straddle because of your hyperactivity. Sowe're gonna say, uh, goodbye for
(36:12):
right now. We're gonna come backfor the final segment and we're gonna have
a good time with y a youngAlex. But seriously, U that podcast
with Robert May super well respected NFLmind. He works with the Athletic check
that out. That's the debut forthe Alex Lewis Show and again. Learn
more via Twitter or YouTube. Ican't wait. I can't wait until tomorrow.
(36:37):
Tomorrow mine very well, be truly, I can't wait. I can't
wait until tomorrow. Cris tomorrow,Canelico? What when? When? When
(36:59):
do you you get to Cleveland?The thirteenth or the fourteenth, Tuesday of
that week? Okay? Good,Yeah, that's the day I believe the
team flies out. Okay, andthen when or maybe whatever day the thirteenth
is, I think is when wefly and then the practices are the next
two days and then like a chillFriday. Yeah, all right, Well
here's the deal, Nordo, areyou going on that trip? I'm not,
(37:21):
man, I'm going to Philly,but I'm not going to Cleveland,
got it? All right? Sonow all of a sudden, yeah,
you are going out on Tuesday.I'm going to be doing three radio shows,
two maybe three at the team hotel. Okay, So we've got to
figure a way to get you overthere. They're gonna let me in there,
Spearfish Sammy Tuesday. That is it? Yeah, yeah, extra mit,
(37:44):
I don't know, I know,And I'm not going to overstep my
boundaries here and like give out passeson the radio. That's you know,
I don't do things like that.But uh, I'm just letting you know
that I will be doing at leasta couple of radio shows there and we'd
love to have you around. I'dlove to be there. You let me
know when I'm excited those joint practicethat will be very fun. I don't
(38:04):
understand why you wouldn't why you wouldbe able to come into the t CEO
Radio studio, which is in thein the bowels of the facility. It's
off limits to pretty much everybody unlessyou know, unless you're credentialed or a
radio partner or whatever. And uhthen all of a sudden, I can't
have you in the ballroom next tothe next to the cafeteria. Yeah,
they might not let me in theTCO Radio studio. The podcast is going
(38:29):
to have to probably hit it prettygood for them to let me in there.
We'll see, we'll figure it out, all right. Well, we
the nine to noon show is outthere Monday and Friday next week, so
love to have you one of them, for sure. Of course, we
are at Twin City's orthopedics performance.It'll be hot out there next week.
I know. That's why we're goingto be doing the show indoors. That
is correct, Old mart Old peoplehave remember last year, the the like
(38:54):
the production stuff like zapped. Peoplehave an intent tendency to sweat. You
were like waving us three to oneto two. You were waving it like
Brian Angelico, the tight Ends coach. Hey, Brian, Josh Oliver,
pick your poison. And then itwas like right right, all right,
(39:14):
bless you my brother, Tell yourfather John, I say, hi,
I will great to see you guys. You too, men, and it's
even better to know we're back.We're back. That's Alec Lewis. I'm
Paul Allen Briday. Football Feast Tomorrowfeatures Wes Durham, the play by play
voice for the Atlanta Falcons, asthe Friend on Foes Friends on Foes series
(39:36):
continues. Plus we'll have much more, including Paul Charchia. Everybody, have
a great day. Hopefully see youtonight at Canterbury Park, first race at
five o'clock. And here is thecon to put a rap on the show.
Wraps on the show always brought toyou by Casey's Food and Funeral Awards
with Casey's rewards that it'll lead PizzaThin and original Cross Cases is the best
go to one today non to noonwhere we always play fast Man. We'll
(39:59):
skipping through the ads, never livingin the past. In the Hope Selling
game, It's an all star castand they played the games though please don't
run last. It was a snippyback and forth on Quasi Different Shades of
Gray with the Rasplake Macy judging draftpicks, trying not to be hasty.
It's short season, got the hosta bit pasty. Lieber and studio man.
(40:20):
He's the best on a station fullof Bridge trolls. He was best
Ivan Pace and the Green Dots soimpressed and I got my head scratched.
In with Addison's arrest, the rivercrests and begins to ebb. The show's
done. We're low energy like JebTomorrow, more adversarial intel. We're feasting
with Charge our resident Incel. We'llcome in, We'll come in. Podcast
(40:45):
Today's Paul Allen Show. We're listeningback to previous show and interviews. I
go into the iHeartRadio app or kfandot com
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