05-02-24 Troy Vincent with Broncos Country Tonight

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Executive VP of Football Operations, TroyVincent. Here's part one of that interview.
Troy, how you doing this evening. I'm doing well. A little
under the weather, so please excusemy my voice. I'm a little congested,
but I've been trying to It justworked out of my system. But
I'm grateful, I'm thankful, andI'm looking forward to our discussion. Yeah,

(00:21):
allergies have been kicking me, soI can I can empathize a little
bit. I wanted to jump rightinto it. One of the first things
off the bat, the NFL haschanged the kickoff rules, and I asked
Sean Paton about that as a presserrecently. You know, if that's going
to change scouting, going to changethe way people construct rosters. But with

(00:42):
you, I want to ask,what impact do you think that's going to
have on the game overall with reemphizationof special teams. I do. I
think it'll I think we'll have someeffects of how the roster is made up.
When you when you think about theone your only rule with two returners

(01:03):
being back there, there's there's anopportunity for you know, the clubs to
upgrade their return specialists. I thinkand it's you know, those that have
been involved around the game, havingthose few specialists, those L fours,
L three's, L fives that arejust they're real unicorns. They're unique.

(01:23):
They can play on every special team, give you some good minutes on your
offense and with your offense and defensivesnaps. I do believe that it will
have some effect roster wise, butwhen we look at it, you know,
how do we get here injury rateand then last year you take a
look at you know you had toreturn. You know, we went to

(01:45):
almost twenty percent return rate. That'sthe lowests has been an NFL history.
So those are the kind of thingsthat we're hoping with the new kickoff,
kicking the ball from the thirty five. Obviously there's no on site, no
no surprise on side kits start linebeing forty players will start. When the
ball touches or hits the ground insidethat landing zone, no fair catch,

(02:10):
and then you get the setup zone. You got to have a minimum of
that to nine players between the thirtyto thirty five yard line and if the
ball, if there's a touch back, the ball comes out to the thirty.
So one of your only rule whatI would say is unique about this
is when you have everybody involved,that's the player, that's the coach or

(02:32):
managers, that's officials, our healthand safety team, you usually come out
with good outcomes. And in thissituation, over the last three years,
in particular last two, there's justbeen a lot of research studying the other
sports leagues and I do believe theplayers and the coaches have come to a

(02:54):
let's say hybrid model that may reducethe injuries at the same time bringing back
a dynamic play. Well's roy youknow, player safety has become a point
of emphasis. And with that beingsaid, there is a propos of maybe
eighteen games in the future. Butmore importantly the new helmet design. What

(03:17):
can you tell us more about theguardian helmet and the possibility of more players
having the ability to wear those inlive games. So the Guardian cap,
which is interesting, so worth threeyears into the Guardian cap and that's a
we will say, a piece ofprotective equipment that layers on top of the
helmet. The past three seasons,the Guardian cap was really used just at

(03:42):
practice and now with the advancements inthe technology, the work that has gone
down to reduce heat make sure thatit's a proper fitting on the helmet.
You know that the players choose sothey have that option if they want to
wear a guardian cap in game,they can do so. The helmet advancement
Nick, it is absolutely what positionsspecific helmets. It's a different world with

(04:10):
helmets. I mean when we duringmy time, you had about three or
four helmets really to choose from,say maybe five tops, and now you
know you have plus twenty. Butthe engineering and the science behind these helmets,
position specific helmets, I think it'sjust extraordinary for today's athlete to have

(04:30):
those options and just a state ofscience, you know, being integrated into
the game of football. We're talkingwith Troy Vincent, the executive VP Football
Operations for the NFL. Troy,you know, one of the things I
get constantly asked about from fans iswhy the NFL does not have fully guaranteed
contracts. You look at Major LeagueBaseball, the NBA, etc. And

(04:53):
you see these fully guaranteed contracts.You helped shepherd the shepherd the NFL through
what I believe three collective bargain agreements. What is the reason behind the NFL
not having fully guaranteed contracts, well, they have. There's many multiple players
that actually have fully guaranteed contracts.So it's really up to the to the
agent and the individual. In mytime, I negotiate fully guarantee contracts and

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ABS was talking. We're talking inthe nineties and so that that occurred.
That option is here today. Thatgoes back to the agent, his skills
or her skills, and the playerin the club. But to have all
I'm not sure if the you know, with the as we would say,
a one hundred injury rate, tohave all fifty three guys with guarantee contracts,

(05:46):
I'm not I'm not sure if that'sa good business decision. But as
I mentioned, players can negotiate guaranteecontracts, well, you know what,
they have that option today, Yeah, players can't do that. And for
me, I'm a little jealous ofsome of these guys now because they get

(06:06):
a little more guaranteed money than Iwould say, maybe you did before me
and during my time. But therewas something that happened a couple of weeks
ago here in Denver that the Broncosorganization was definitely able to celebrate, and
I would like to give your takeon it. Girls Foot I mean flag
football was sanctioned here a while agoin high school, and I think that's

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it's a marvelous thing. But tellme from your perspective, how has the
game of flag football and young girlshelped grow the game globally? Because I
think that is a fascinating thing thatour audience needs to know. No,
I love it, and it's beensomething that over the last you know,
we just document I I don't needto sound like that someone is just in

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the weeds here, but probably aboutforty percent of my time during the offseason
it's spent on flag and in particularwhy flag matter to the league and to
the clubs. Low barrier ventures.So you look at two things. One
fan development. Secondly, football participation. With low barriers of entry, it

(07:12):
allows for more people not only toplay the game here, but globally.
It allows for people to have abetter understanding of the game that we both
love or we all love. Itprovides just a wonderful, wonderful opportunity for
girls and women, just a wonderfulopportunity. And then the talent, that
talent pipeline. We've seen our datahave shown that players that have a good

(07:35):
flag experience are more likely to participateand tackle football at the high school level.
And then it also enables you know, the skill development at younger ages
across or broad across a broad audience. So seeing Colorado come on as a
state, a state that has sanctionedgirls varsity flags, why wouldn't you today,

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if I'm a state of ministry,why would you not want that opportunity
for the young ladies to play flagfootball at a varsity level, at the
collegiate level. They're now earning scholarshipsto play ball like we did. There's
an Olympic path to represent your company. Why would a state not or youth
organization or school, why would younot do it? Why would you not

(08:24):
allow that opportunity for young girls toparticipate? I love it, love it,
absolutely love it. Yeah, Ithink that's want to I want to
dovetable off that briefly because I thinkthat's a great discussion to me, Growing
football, American football as a worldwidesport requires one thing that you just said,
which is low barriers to entry intoan endgame, which you also just

(08:45):
provided there that allows for them togrow. It's the reason that soccer is
such a worldwide phenomenon. You justneed a ball or relatively flat pitch,
and you can play it. Kidscan play it right versus, for instance,
hockey where you've got to have bleedson your feet and ice rink,
you know, those kinds of things. Football for the longest was that thing
you had to put on all thepads and the helmet and everything else.
But with flag football, it givesyou a low barrier entry because you can

(09:07):
you can play touch or flag orwhatever a low bearer entry as kids,
and having it sanctioned at higher levelsallows for an endgame or a goal to
build towards. It's more than justplaying backyard football. And Nick, you
said it, and it's the simplestway why it's all inclusive. It's low
barrier, it has low breas ofof of entry, and it's easy to

(09:31):
learn. So it's when we talkabout we know we're dominant, the game
of football is dominant here in theStates, but to have a true global
footprint, it's flag. It's tooflag like our international Pathway program. You
know, youve got to we callthat the IPP program where you now now

(09:52):
you have an extra roster, uh, you know, extra roster position for
international players. But the girl flagin particular. I absolutely love it.
I'm truly inspired by it, andit is taking our country by start.
So do you see a world ina future where we now have a women's

(10:13):
flag football league. Why wouldn't we? So just think about what we're saying.
Got three guys on a call,we should be offering, and there
should be an offering. I'm gonnasay we anything that's available for men to
compete, it should be a parallelpath for women, no question. We

(10:35):
should. We if we're not talkingabout and that they actually have a professional
flag tackle leads now for women,but professional adult flag leagues for women.
That's all part of this ecosystem.So these are things that we're engaging in
every day. The focus now isat the youth level, flags and school

(10:56):
flags and parks and rec high schoolsanctions. This August will be applying for
our merging sport, for emerging sportat the collegiate level, and then you
got that path to the twenty LAtwenty twenty eight Olympics. Hey fat flag
will be competing this summer in Paris. So it's an exciting time for the
game of football. One of thethings that we talk about a lot,

(11:18):
not just with growth of the gamewith women. But is internationally, we've
seen a lot of games being playedoverseas. Obviously we've got Germany. We
all know about the London games.Now we've got the games down there in
Brazil. You know, one ofthe things that I've said with the logistics
of going overseas was tough. Butif you can keep it in the same
time zone, maybe South America isan emerging market. You know, Central

(11:39):
and South America would be emerging marketswhere you keep it in the same time
zone. And nowal logistically it's notas tough with bodies adjusting to different time
zones. Is that the nest expansionpan for the NFL, and that why
we're exploring maybe Brazil, Yes,and we talk about Germany, we talk
about Mexico, Brazil, Mandre,Paris, Dublin, Italy, Tokyo.

(12:01):
So yes, it is an adjustmentand we've seen games, but not just
the games. It is actually whatwe've seen is the growth of the fandom
of young people participating, getting achance to see the best in the world.

(12:22):
That what we saw in basketball iswhat we've seen. When you get
a chance to see the best talentin the world in your city or your
country. It creates the fandom,it creates interest for other people to participate.
The time zone we're working on that, and you know those games are
usually early kickoffs nine thirty. Itactually presents another game window, you know,

(12:45):
that goes right into that one o'clockhour, So a new window for
the audience to play. The playersare usually acclimated because they come over there
a few days before, if nota week before. In some clubs like
Jacksonville a year ago, had backto back games there. So we're getting
better. I mean as a footballoperations standpoint, we're working with our events

(13:07):
team. We just we have amuch much better model to deploy global football
games today, Troy. We've seenthe game grow both domestically and you're talking
about the growth of the game internationallyas well, and with that becomes the
branding, more eyes on the game. And I know Roger Goodell earlier this

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week talked about the possibility once againof an eighteen game schedule. How do
you guys coordinate that with the NFLPAto make sure that both sides are getting
exactly what they would needed. Well, obviously it starts with leadership. Both
Lloyd and commissioner, the executive teamJalen and new president of the Players Association,
that executive that executive committee team.When you start talking about expansion to

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play, I think there's a dominoeffect that I'm just speaking not from a
league standpoint but from my own personalexperience, is if you start expanding,
you know, regular season play,there's what does preseason look like? What
does off season look like? ButI do believe with the current leadership in
place, the current president, theexecutive committee, I think as they take

(14:16):
a look at the off season becauseit's you know today, how do you
get the sixteen games, how doyou get the seventeen games you start as
that last quarter of the season.How do you get from game day to
the next game day? But Ithink as they look at as Commissioner reference
eighteen and two, I think there'sa domino effect that must occur us.
How do you look at preseason,how do you look at the off season?

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What does it all look like sothat that human body, because you're
talking about a human body, howdo you maintain the body and that high
level of play throughout that time period? Oh? Joy, I definitely have
to ask this question. I've remissif I didn't. So the NFL Draft

(15:01):
of twenty twenty four, NFL Draftwrapped in Detroit with the historic numbers,
I mean, record setting attendance.Next year is going to be in Green
Bay. Here's what our audience wantsto know. What needs to happen.
What do we need to talk toto bring the draft here to Denver,
Colorado? What do we need totalk to? Well, let me start

(15:22):
with dn't I mean with Detroit?What up? Dough? So I learned
that when I was there during theweek. My daughter was like that,
you're not gonna say yes, Iam, what up? Don't? Frankly,
if you talk to the commissioner,you talk to the club. Listen
this when I think about the drafttoday. Now, I participated back in

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ninety two, you know here inNew York where they only brought five of
us in a hotel room with asticker that de Velcrow to the podium.
And now there's like red carpet andto see seven hundred and seventy five thousand
people over it's just like the seeof I mean it was it was beautiful.

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Denver is one of those cities thatif you think you could, we
could do this in Nashville. Wethink we can. You know, we
put this off in Philadelphia. You'retalking about the city of champions in Detroit.
Now, it's not like you know, you got got your own Lombardi
trophies there. You have a citylike Denver that is used to putting on

(16:30):
major, major events. Why not? Why not? Nick? I think
you can send a note to thecommissioners, say, commission I think we
should be considering Denver for draft.Well, can I can I send that
note you via email? Rot Rogers'staking my calls right now. Absolutely,

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for here's one of our legends,a note from one of our legends.
Okay, there we go. That'swhat we got done. That's how stuff
gets done. Speaking of how stuffgets done, last quick for me,
mister Vincent, I appreciate you time. Today, the NFLPA surveys that they've
started doing over the last couple ofyears look like they're achieving real results.
The New England Patriots are even advertisinga new job position of a family services
coordinator on their website right now.How do you guys feel about the fact

(17:17):
that these surveys have started and areenacting or leveraging real change from ownership and
organizations that the players want and need. Well, it gets people's attention.
We know that, right, so, and I think this is the partnership.
I think Nick, you asked usearlier. It might have been you've
been Benjamin that you know, wetalk about the players association, the future

(17:37):
of this partnership. In the partnership, if you take care of the players,
the players take care of the game. And this is a collaboration.
And this is a partnership. Whenyou have a survey, hey, it's
factory direct. Whether some people maywant to agree or disagree, what the

(18:00):
players have put on paper when theytook the survey is their perception and their
reality. And I do believe thatthe membership is working to UH to make
those changes and we make, youknow, make those changes together. But
that's working in collaboration. Again,it did get people's attention, got everybody's

(18:21):
attention, everybody talking, and you'reseeing club club in and club the club.
UH make those make those tweaks tomake that partnership, locker room experience,
family experience a little better. Well, Roy, it is the last
one for me, and I justwant to put it back in your wheelhouse

(18:41):
because you play this game at ahigh level for so many years. We
have here in arms. Patzertan hishis dad played in the league a number
of years. I just want toget your your personal thoughts of when you
watch him, what is it thatyou see. I love him. I
love him and he reminds me alot of I will just say some characteristics

(19:06):
of myself and Bobby Taylor and sillyand what do I mean by that?
What are those characteristics? He's long, so when he came out of school,
he had every It's not about checkingthe box, but he had every
characteristic that was necessary for you tobe a dominant corner at the professional level.

(19:27):
Because some things don't transfer from collegeto pro. He had everything that
transferred. He's long, he canrun, he got great burst, he
got good speed, the power whenhe when is necessary, and he got
good power to speed. He useshis hands. He can catch. He's
not he's a nightmare matchup for abigger receiver. Why because he can outrun

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him and he's most of the timehe's quicker and because of his body mechanics,
his skill level. When you're watchhim play, he can handle this.
He can move inside, he canmove he can play outside the numbers,
where he's at most of the time, but you can also move him
inside, and frankly, it's aluxury if you didn't. He can play

(20:11):
not only inside outside the numbers,but because of his range and he's a
good tackler, you can actually puthim in the center field if you need
it to. When a guy doesn'thave to come off of the football field
in particular corner. He's special.You can keep him in on short yardists
you don't have to remove him.You can keep him in on goal line,
you don't have to remove him.Why great tackler? Love it?

(20:36):
I love him, I love him. I think he's won two three best
corners in the National Football League.Yeah, we certainly love him. Ran
here Rope. He stays at DenverBronco for a long time. Mister Vincent,
We certainly appreciate your time. No, you're a busy man and look
forward to seeing this season play out. No, thank you for having me,
gentlemen. Hey, Troy, theonly lookout for that email us into

(20:59):
Rusby. Not only not only amI gonna send it to commission, I'm
gonna send it to the pinner aswell. There you go. I'm going
to leave in the building right now, filming fans right now, pushing for
the draft to come here. I'mgonna do that right before we do right
on the street. And we cando it in Kansas City. We can
do it at ten in Nashville.Man Denver would blow this thing out of

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the water. Heard it is.We're ready for here, Troy Vincent,
Executive vice president of Football Operations forthe NFL. We certainly appreciate your time,
sir, Thank you, thank you. Here