Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We talked a little bit earlier about wide receivers the
Broncos might look at maybe go free agency maybe for
a wide receiver, trying to get some more offensive weapons
here for the Broncos for bow Knicks, trying to you know,
take that jump in his sophomore season, trying to surround
him with some talent. Now, I'm interested Nick in running
(00:23):
back because when you look at the league this year,
there was a resurgence in the running back and we're
gonna see that in the Super Bowl with Saquan you know,
a two thousand yard season here, the running back position
maybe coming back around. You think the Broncos maybe go
that direction maybe draft wise.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Yeah, I think the Broncos will. They Actually it makes
sense to look in that direction based on how the
playoffs kind of shaped out. All the teams that were
able to run the ball well from the running back
standpoint and the quarterback standpoint, they all advanced, and when
he got to the final four, it came down to
(01:07):
the teams that were able to run the ball but
not turn the ball over, right, because all four teams
pretty much ran the ball well. But in the case
of the Buffalo Bills, right, it was poor execution the
case of the Washington Commanders turning the ball over, but
they all ran the ball effectively. Even about going back
(01:27):
to the Bills game, it was left in the question
why James Cook is not in the game for a
pivotal part of it. But that tells you for me
how important running backs are. I've always thought that as
a person who played against some very elite running backs
in my time in his league. But Danian Thomason, Adrian Peterson,
(01:49):
Corey Dillon, right, those were some of those guys. Jerome
bettis right, and I understood that being able to run
the ball to set up play pass helps out your
quarterback and open up your offense. But if you can't
run the ball and your quarterback is constantly under in
(02:11):
the shotgun, you take away the fear or the concept
of running the ball. So the Broncos definitely need to
need to be able to do that. You do you
have any guys that you will like, you know, whether
they are rookies entering the league or veteran guys that
you said, well, it would be great hypothetically speaking of
(02:32):
the Broncos could get this particular guy.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Well, I think that that's sort of the question is that,
like free agency, you're talking about a guy who's got
a lot of miles on him at this point, you know,
where You're like, I don't know, like Aaron Jones, I
think is a top running back in free agency. But
to me, I like the idea of maybe going more
of a younger guy who's going to come in and
(02:56):
he's got more fresher legs. And you know, of course
Ashton gent is gonna get all of the attention here
just being a you know, a Heisman finalist in the
year he had with Boise State. But I think that
there's pretty strong draft class. Maybe you don't have to
go in that direction in the first round, but maybe
if you had the opportunity to get a guy like him,
(03:18):
then you got to jump at that. But it seems
like he's gonna be gone before twenty So I don't know, Nick,
It's gonna be interesting to see just like how they
I guess what to me is like what are they
going to spend their elite Like where are they going
to spend their top picks on or what are they
going to spend their money on in free agency? That'll
(03:39):
let you know what they think about where the team
is and what they want to try and do well.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
This is why fregency comes for the draft. It allows
teams to kind of look at their roster and figure
out from a price point standpoint where they want to
go positionwise, and whatever you didn't get in free agency
you try to hit on in the draft. But you
saw you mentioned something that I think is important to say. Okay,
well you get the veteran guy, or that veteran guy's
(04:06):
got too much wear and tear. Right, the younger guy,
he's he's fresh. But there's pros and cons to that
that that rookie guy he doesn't have that experience, not
in the league. Yea, the veteran guy, he has that experience.
But you said, well, you know what a lot of
wear You know, I say, you use the Michelin tire effect.
What I mean by mission and tire Mission and tires
(04:28):
are known as being a good tire. So as we
talk about running backs and being worn down, the way
you do that is you build out that offense. That
offense ends up being the mission and tied for that
running back. One feeds kind of the other. And for me, man,
you may think that this is kind of an old
school thought, but he can apply today. I'm part of it.
I'm just getting a whole bunch of theories here. I'm
(04:51):
part of that Batman theory. You know that Batman No no, no, no, no, no,
no no no. That boom pang pow. Yes, that's what
I want to my running back, that boom bang pow.
It's smacking people in the face. Yeah, because you want
to be able to show teams that if you have
to go into a four minute offense where you just
have to run the ball, you can do that. If
(05:13):
you can do two minute office, you can do that.
But if you have to play one of those games
where you had to grind them out, knowing as though
they're gonna put eight nine minute in the box, we
don't care.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
I guess I should take back a little what I
just said, because like Saquan changed teams this last offseason,
and look at the year he had, Derrick Henry changed teams.
Nobody wanted Derrick Henry, no one, They thought he had
too many miles, But look at the year he had.
That being set, those two guys I think are special,
you know, and I don't really see that being available
(05:45):
out there for Lebroncas in free agency.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
But here, I'm gonna take what you said. I'm gonna
raise it a little right, I'm gonna pick a back
off of that. So when you talk about those teams,
it wasn't just one running back because some people feel
as though, well, you gotta get that one Bell Kyle
running back and that's gonna be your guy. That's not
the day's NFL. Because a lot of fans and people
in the media in this local market it was like,
(06:08):
what the Broncos are trying to utilize three four running backs? Well,
that's not what you should do. Well in San Francisco,
they made it work here at Mike Shanahan when I
play here, they made it work. So the whole concept
that well, you need just one or two bel callbacks, No,
but you need backs who are affective. So let me
give you some ideas. So you talked about Saquon Barkley,
(06:30):
so you had Saquon, but you also had game well
as well in Philadelphia. So you think about Buffalo, you
had Ty Johnson as well. You think about Detroit they
had David Montgomery, Engineer Gibbs, and then Cincinnati who they
you know, back back back when they went to the
Super Bowl. It was mixing and p Ron and Peter
(06:52):
Ron is making another return to the Super Bowl again.
How about that you get cut by the Broncos and
now you go back to the.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
Super Bowl and make the play.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Come on, man, that's true.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
But I mean they did feature Barkley, I mean, to
get that kind of production. You're your feet of them.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Well, once again, you are featuring him a player, right,
But they also had other players Dallas guarded, I mean
a J. Brown, you know, uh, you had Smith as well.
So there's players around. But the offensive receivers open up
the run game just like the run game opens up
(07:32):
the pass game for them. It's the thing that that
kind of it's then ebbs and flow and and it
actually works. But for me, for a running back for
the Broncos, there's some young running backs out there, and
I say, well, go out and grab one or two
of those running backs. But for a veteran guy, once again,
I go back to, you know, my mentality as a
defensive player, and I and I and for me, you
(07:54):
need physicality.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Yeah, but they also like to run that screen game
a lot with their running back. And you talk about
like maybe like the joker kind of role for Sean
Payton's offense, and MIM's doing a little bit of that.
You know, it'll be interesting to see what direction they
try to go, because like even a guy like Audric Estimate,
I thought he was going to be that physical guy
(08:17):
and then you know, he ends up being inactive for
the playoff game, and.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
The reason being because he fall in with the ball.
Ball security was somewhat of an issue. And idea is
that when when the team lose kind of reliability in
you to hold on to the ball, you know what happens,
You become to the ball, that's right, and you become
someone else's running back, not our running back. Oh yeah, yeah,
(08:40):
that's kind of the mindset. But the Broncos want to
be able to have an inside, outside game, and the
screen game has always been a huge part of what
Sean Payton has done in the time in New Wallance,
I got a veteran back for you. It may not
be really popular, but I like the fact of this
back being able to give you a one two combination
from skill set standpoint, and that's Kareem Hunt. He give
(09:02):
you physicality. He is, in my version, a milder if
Marshall Lynch is spicy. He is a milder version of
Marshall Lynch. And you need a guy like that on
your team. You don't want the spice. I mean, yes, yeah,
you want the spice, you want it, but if you
can't really get you know, the extra crispy with the spice,
(09:22):
you know, a guy like me I went to mile
You know you don't want the heartburn. No, no, I
want the heartburn you. Once again, here's we got to
remember about the spice. The way it comes in, it
goes out the same way. Right, you have to be careful.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
Now, that's true. You have to be careful, that's true. Yes,
So I think one thing we'll learn about this Broncos
Tima and their mindset moving forward is where they spend
their money. Like if they go out and get a
guy like Tee Higgins, then that'll tell you like, Okay,
this team is going to try and throw the ball
all over the place, like that's where they're focused on
this offseason.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
But well, not necessarily. Feel not necessarily, I mean you
can go out and say, well, you know that you
need a big target at the wide receiver position. The
guy who's going to be an instant offense. So if
you were to spend the money on Team T Higgins,
now you saying, okay, well, we just spend that money
on the running back or whatever in the draft. I
(10:15):
mean in the free agency. Now let's go to the draft.
We'll be a penny pitch while you get guys on
rookie deals. That's a way to do it. But for
the Broncos to go into twenty twenty five with bow
Nicks once again averaging about thirty five to thirty eight
passing attempts a game, that's a no bueno. That's a
no bueno.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
So would you think maybe going after a guy in
the in the first round of the draft, then maybe
you don't get maybe you don't get a cream Hunt,
maybe you don't get something like that. Would you be
okay with spending a first rounder on a running back.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
I'm okay with that. But with the Broncos sitting that twenty,
there's gonna be some other teams that want to move up.
And there are also some other good players in this league.
I mean, coming out of in the draft, take twenty,
move back, stay in the first round. Maybe you could
pick up another first round or a second rounder and
you still get hit on quality players.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Chompayne doesn't trade back, well, I know he.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Doesn't have a tradition of trading back, but sometimes you
got to be a little more strategic.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Yeah, because it is a good spot to kind of
think about doing that because.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
You see how the draft is working breaking down, and
usually in the draft you get all these mock drafts
and it bugs the crap out of me because you
get mock draft six point zero. It's like, dude, make
your make up, make up your mind, choose a mock
draft and decide because things are changing, and don't pick
based on what analysts are telling you. You look at
(11:44):
your team and decide which player fits and just do
it that way.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Uh. Daniel Jeremiah NFL dot Com. He came out with
his first mark draft already, the first one, and Ashton
Jens went number twelve and he was the only running
back to go in the first round. So he probably
won't be there at twenty. So if the Broncos are
like adamant about it, I mean fans are they get
a guy in their mind and then they say, okay,
(12:09):
you gotta get him, you know. But there's I think
there's some other running backs that me, I'd be fine
if they went in a different direction in the first round.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Okay, you can't. I mean obviously if you were building
like a fantasy team. He said, okay, well I want
to ask him genty. Okay, fine, but that's not how
this works. So this is why you go through your evaluation.
You put guys up on the board, and as you
work them out, maybe some a guy you flew the
guy with the bottom to the top or top to
the bottom. But the idea is you say, okay, well
(12:38):
what are all options, and you set up your options
one A, one B, and you see who falls where
you need them to fall. The Broncos don't need to
reach for a running back. You don't. You're at twenty.
You can actually move back still get your running back.
But the idea feel is even if you get your
running back, if you get your wide receiver, you gotta
(12:59):
use those guys. You got a feature them.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
I mentioned the Jeremiah Mick draft. He has a safety
coming to the Broncos at twenty, a safety. Yet Nick
m and Worry from South Carolina. Nah, safety seems high
maybe for a first rounder unless guy man.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
The safety position is now starting to be talked about
more based on how athletic the tight ends have become.
But you're not taking a safety in the first round
because once again we're looking for day one instant impact.
That safety could definitely help you because the Broncos do
need to upgrade. But what side of the ball needs
more help? What side ball you think needs more help?
(13:43):
The offense, that's right, So why would I spend a
number first round pick number twenty on the safety.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
I'll say the offense needs more help, But I think
on the defensive side. Last year, a lot of guys
had career years, Nick.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
And so.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
If for some of these guys, are they gonna be
able to repeat what they did last year for the
defense or are they gonna be able to build? Like
is Zach Allen gonna come back and have even a
better year than last year. I mean, we don't know,
but one thing is for sure. Last year was the
best year of his career. So so many guys had
their best year of their career last year, Nick, Benito,
(14:21):
Jonathan Cooper. I mean, you just go on and on
and on. Not all of those guys are gonna continue
to build or repeat what they did well.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
No they're they're not, because obviously teams are gonna watch
some more family and figure out way to kind of
block them or slow them down. But from once again,
I'm speaking from a point of defense and saying, okay, well,
the one thing that can help your defense is your
offense converting third downs scoring points. Because what that means
(14:50):
is you talk about Benito, you talk about Zach Allen, Well,
their stats could go up because if your offense is
scoring more points, the opposing offense, guess what, they got
to throw the ball, That's right, they gotta throw the ball.
And what that means is you get more opportunities to
rush the passer. So for me, this is me building
a team. If I were in charge, I'm looking to
(15:11):
enhance my offense. I want to score more points on average,
so I can actually give my defense an opportunity. Because
remember against Buffalo and against Cincinnati, time of possession were
huge issues and the defense was out there a long
time because offense didn't convert third.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Downs, Yeah, could not move the change. That was a
big issue. We had a text here from six zero
zero six Ribbi is not in the budget. Nick, maybe
flank Steak, I don't know, you.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Know what, I'll take it this better than Dan Roman
Nutan's I'll tell you that much.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
Either way, it's gonna be well done for you.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
Right.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
Well, oh what I did not know this, so we
gotta talk more about this after the break. You're listening
to the Broncos country tonight. Before we went to break there,
we were talking about steak and it came out that
you like your steak cooked a certain way.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
Well, it's been some fabrications, okay, you know on this program,
and both Ben and Grant have led individuals to believe
that I like my steak like a car tire, like
really rubbery, and that is far from the truth. And
I know there was a texture who said, well, we
(16:26):
don't have ribbi, but we have you know, flank steak. Now,
flank steak is like fourteen to fifty a pound, right,
there's fourteen fifty of pounds, so flank steak is not bad.
But you also said, you know, the Broncos can take
the flank steak approach and we can make for heaters
out of it exactly exactly, so that way, once again,
everybody eats, and that's what you want in the offense,
(16:49):
everybody eating. But no man, I like my steak kind
of like medium, well or in certain cases, depending on
the cut of the meat, medium, Okay, So it all
depends on the cut of the meat.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
I just I heard well done. I just didn't know.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
I've never said well done. They've just taken this whole idea.
They've taken this whole idea that I like my steak.
You know, well, no, man, I like to be able
to cut into it and there's a little you know,
pink in there because I still want it to be moist.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Yes, because medium, well, you're living on the edge.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Well yes, I am like, like, there's a fine steak
establishment here that if I were to order a steak,
the plates come out really hot. So yes, so if
I wanted to So, if I ordered my steak medium,
I can slice it, throw it on the plate. Boh,
it's ready to go. But grant and profit and ben
(17:57):
have people believe in that I want my steak well done.
I've never said that.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
The truth will set you free, niggie.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
That's right, it definitely sets you free.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Earlier in the show, we started tease talking a little
bit about the Pro Bowl Nick of course, that going
on this week in Orlando, saw a picture of a
Peyton Manning hanging out at Disney World down there. I'm interested,
what do you think about the Pro Bowl? Like, do
fans care about this anymore? Is there a way that
(18:29):
they need to rework this so that it matters?
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Again, it doesn't matter what they do. They can't rework
it to where it was years ago, because that I
think the period from I want to say little before
twenty twenty, that's when the Pro Bowl was ruined because
guys were out there just kind of going through the motion.
(18:55):
There was no effort, and it looked like flag football.
The league was just like, well, we might as well
make it into a flag football tournament. Now, there are
certain ways that you can spice up the Pro Bowl
just a little, and more people may be more inclined
to watch. Because if the league had like a flag
(19:16):
football challenge all season long, and you took the championship
team of that league and they played against the NFL
All Stars, now we're talking. Now we're talking because now
you got some hungry guys out there who they never
played bothos sports. But if they can brag that they
(19:39):
gave someone in the NFL Michael Parson, the business just
think about that, and well, I wouldn't call it that,
but that's kind of the idea. Okay, then people can
live tweet on the sideline after it because you take
the same format like how they had for the XFL,
whether the reporters are right there on the sideline giving
(20:00):
the reports, Yeah, more access. Yeah, there you go. Now
now we're talking.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
Yeah, like you know, they don't even play an actual
football game really in and now, so like it's it's
come a long way in the wrong direction if you
ask me from like when Sean Taylor made that hit
two thousand and six Bro Grant. That was a different time.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
That was one of Grant's favorite plays. Yes, that was
in fact a different time, and a lot of guys
don't play the game that way anymore. But a lot
of these All star games you're thinking about, how can
you make them more exciting? Like the NFL is arguably
the best professional sports for building drama and living up
(20:46):
to creating the hype and leaving up to it. Now,
when you're talking about the best All Star game you got,
that's got to be baseball. Oh really, it's got to
be baseball. No basketball, man, it's behind because.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
There's something on the line in baseball, well.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
Yeah, it is something online in baseball. But in basketball,
I mean, let's call like almost two hundred points a team.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
Yeah, but that gets competitive down the stretch, I know
it doesn't. They had the new ending, you know where.
It's fun to watch that way.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
They keep trying to change it. See for me, I
love it. When Kobe was playing, Kobe was playing defense
no matter what.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Now, join Waight bleeding out there.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Yes, exactly. Kobe was taking dudes to the to the
to the shot and giving him the business.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
But what I was gonna say, is a football like
that Sean Taylor head, they don't want to get hit
like that. So, like, how do you make it? It's
just hard because it's a physical sport.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Hey, listen, man, back where I came from, in the
neighbor my neighborhood, they said, you scared, call the police.
You scared, call the police. No, say, what's that? Well,
very true, that's true. They say that. They do say
that they have it. They had been said. But the idea,
(22:04):
if you are playing a contact sport and with Sean
Taylor's mentality means gonna get hit, Something's gonna happen.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
Now, like Quinn Minor has turned down the invite. He
was like, I want to earn my trip to the
Pro Bowl.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
I think he should have gone to me.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
Yeah, I was gonna say, there's no value to hanging
out with some of the best in the league. Yeah,
because so the game isn't what it is, right.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Because I can understand the idea of earning it. But
if you are an alternate, I say go right, because
when you saw talking about contracts and other things, you
can say that you went to the Pro Bowl yep,
and someone can say, well you altonate, I don't care
I went to the Pro Bowl. How many players can
say that they actually went there? Then you're absolutely right, Phil,
(22:48):
You actually at the game, and then that a weekend
and that hotel where you talking to different guys, you
can pick up on different things, you can exchange ideas.
But being in that the confinements of where the Pro
Bowl is being held and being in the atmosphere, I
believe that it does a lot to encourage a guy,
(23:10):
especially if it's kind of your first Pro Bowl appearance.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
Yeah. I think that you could just learn a lot
and it could be valuable. And you know, one guy
who takes a Pro Bowl. Seriously, is Peyton Manning. Here's
what he had to say about it on the Pat
McAfee show last night.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
I saw Drake may having a conversation with Baker Mayfield,
and to me, there's room that in a young quarterback
like Drake may learning how to be a pro, learning
how to go through a coaching change, which Baker Mayfield
has done several times. Right, that's the value. How do
(23:46):
we keep these players in the exposition learning from a
veteran player. And that's where I saw ray Lewis have
a conversation with Patrick Willis.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
I saw the.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
Dailien Thomlinson have conversations with Adrian Peterson. That's how we
keep the game strong. That's why I think it's important.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Yeah, I agree with him. I mean the game is
just sort of like trying to be for entertainment purposes
right now, you know, like the certainly the skills competition
and all that. You know, it's like sort of fun
to watch. I don't really watch it, but I think,
like I like watching the clips online or on social
you know, like, hey, here's Joe Burrow trying to hit
these targets. That's interesting to me. But hey, not trying.
(24:29):
He hit them all. He hit them.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Joe doesn't miss.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
But I think that for the player, you could still
learn a lot just talking ball, talking about how to
be a pro, talking about the little details. You know,
Quinn could have been hanging out with Quinin Nelson all week,
you know, the All Pro guard from with the Colts,
Like you could just pick up little things that improve
your game just a little bit.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Well, for me, like, you're absolutely right. And after my career,
had an opportunity to go down to Pro Bowl, and
Chris Harris was there at the Pro Bowl, so I
got a chance to see him. I got a standers
to see so many other players, But for me, I
got a chance to see guys that I heard about
or I watched as a kid growing up. And for me,
(25:16):
I got a chance to meet Mike Singletary. And I
wish I would have had an opportunity to do it
during my playing days. But it was still an honor
to be in his presidence and knowing how intense he
played the game and how serious he was about the game.
And you think about Drake May, you can say, well,
did Drake May have all the numbers to go to
(25:39):
the Pro Bowl outright, and the answer was like, he
played well, but no, he didn't have the stat so
he was an alternate. But by him being there, you're
now around Peyton Manning, You're around all these other players
that you can bounce things off. You have Sam Donald
is there. So being able to be in that room
(26:00):
and to pick those the brains of those guys, to me,
that's that's priceless. But I understand a player saying I
don't want to go until I earn it. But at
the same time, you had an opportunity, even though it
was an ultimate to be in the room with these
great players that could possibly help to take your game
(26:22):
to a whole another level or piss you off enough
to say, you know what, I'm gonna get on my
grind once this Pro Bowl is over.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
Yeah, yeah, exactly like you and just being there could
get you, you know, your juice is flowing.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Off the course.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
Yeah, that's why I think like every young player should
try and take a trip to a Hall of Fame,
because you like, when you're just there, it's it inspires you.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
You know, you know what, You're absolutely right, every player
should take a trip to the Hall of Fame. But
there's still another place that you should take a trip
to that. When I was playing, I never went because
it was like going to the President's office. And I
was in New York City my first three years, and
(27:03):
Curtis Martin used to go all the time, and it
was frowned upon because, well, why are you going to
the league office? You know, it's always us against them, right,
what are you trying to do? And I wish that
I did the same thing that he would do by
going to the League office. So I would encourage any player,
current or former, if you've never been to the League office,
(27:25):
you should go.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
What kind of things did you pick up there?
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Well, for me, it was it's the history of the league.
You go from florid to floor and you walk the
halls and you see so much of the league history,
of the shoulders of the guys that you stand on,
but also the foundation that you're leaving for guys who
are coming behind you. That's your building in the league
(27:51):
has a thing in a policy where if you are
from a player and you're looking to close a business deal,
you can hold the meeting at the League Office.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
That's kind of a cool little thing that you know,
most people don't know.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Yeah, because think about it. I mean people once again,
for certain people walking in the building, it can be
very intimidating.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Believe that impression. Yeah for sure.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
But at the same time, it's like, Wow, I'm in
the League office and there's not too many people who
get a chance because once you go to the League Office,
there's levels of security you have to go through to
one to get in the building and then get on
the elevator so to get up to those upper level
floors that not too many people in fans and people
(28:33):
in the media get a chance to go and visit.
To me that that's that's huge. But going to Ken yes,
I encourage guys to do that because it is it's
freaking awesome. But going to the League office you gotta
do that.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
And they used to do the Rookie Symposium in Canton.
They used to take all the drafted guys and I'll
meet there, tour you know, the actual museum and then
also like talk about like how to handle your finances
and all.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
Well, there's some other things that happened that to those
league meetings where it was like, yeah, we need to
stop that. Who was it Chris Carter who was honored
to kind of be on that stage talking to guys,
and he was telling guys, it gives bad advice. It's
(29:21):
good advice and bad advice all at the same time.
By telling them, hey, they need to have a fall guy. Oh,
so you're sinuating that they're going to get in.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
Trouble at some point and you.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
Need someone to be the fall guy.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
That's the thing about advice, right, You got to trust
who's coming from, you know, And I think those young
guys they're probably getting advice from everybody. You can't just
there's probably a lot of noise, you know, Phil, I
don't even know.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
Once you get into the NFL, there's a lot of noise.
There are a lot of people who are coming out
of the woodwork, and the ability to trust people it
goes down because you're looking at around like, well, who
was here for me? So everyone is out there like, hey, man,
I want to be an NFL player. I want to
make all that money. Be careful what you're asking for.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
Yeah, we got a text here from two five three,
two All Star games suck all of them? Do leave
it all all in the past.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
What have been the home run derby? I mean, come on, man, nothing.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
Is better than three point contests and a slam dunk competition.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Well, the slam dunk contest is kind of went down
down every day of the week. Yes, oh man, and
I like the celebrity baseball game because that's always hilarious
to as well.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Some of those guys try to swing's it?
Speaker 2 (30:44):
That's that's another avenue that the league can actually use.
How about a celebrity flag football game? Could you some
of that?
Speaker 1 (30:52):
Well, they could put it back in Hawaii make players
want to go.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
Hey, what was he phil? That trip to Hawaii is
not as free as you think. Oh, there's man that call. First,
you're flying allver to Hawaii. You got people who want
to go.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Sure, you can't just go. Yes, so now your family's going.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
Paying for your family and if your wife has family
they want to go. That's hotel room, that's food, that's travel.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Doesn't cover some of that, you know, none of it?
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Wait? Wait, you talking about the NFL not for lonely
over that Yes, oh okay, you in expensive. Yeah, you
end up going to the Pro Bowl, but you end
up more in the whole than you were when you
first got there.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
See this is the kind of knowledge that yes, we
can learn here.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
I think I'm gonna hit up Troy Vincent and say
give him some advices, a suggestion on the Pro Bowl.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
Yeah, I want to go to Hawaii. That's that's just
my take, all right. Well, hey, it's been fun chopping
it up with you, Nick. Always a good time, but
especially fun on a Friday night on Broncos Country Tonight
it is.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
Bill Good Friday. So it's all about bringing some juice
at Boom Pig Pole
We talked a little bit earlier about wide receivers the
Broncos might look at maybe go free agency maybe for
a wide receiver, trying to get some more offensive weapons
here for the Broncos for bow Knicks, trying to you know,
take that jump in his sophomore season, trying to surround
him with some talent. Now, I'm interested Nick in running
(00:23):
back because when you look at the league this year,
there was a resurgence in the running back and we're
gonna see that in the Super Bowl with Saquan you know,
a two thousand yard season here, the running back position
maybe coming back around. You think the Broncos maybe go
that direction maybe draft wise.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Yeah, I think the Broncos will. They Actually it makes
sense to look in that direction based on how the
playoffs kind of shaped out. All the teams that were
able to run the ball well from the running back
standpoint and the quarterback standpoint, they all advanced, and when
he got to the final four, it came down to
(01:07):
the teams that were able to run the ball but
not turn the ball over, right, because all four teams
pretty much ran the ball well. But in the case
of the Buffalo Bills, right, it was poor execution the
case of the Washington Commanders turning the ball over, but
they all ran the ball effectively. Even about going back
(01:27):
to the Bills game, it was left in the question
why James Cook is not in the game for a
pivotal part of it. But that tells you for me
how important running backs are. I've always thought that as
a person who played against some very elite running backs
in my time in his league. But Danian Thomason, Adrian Peterson,
(01:49):
Corey Dillon, right, those were some of those guys. Jerome
bettis right, and I understood that being able to run
the ball to set up play pass helps out your
quarterback and open up your offense. But if you can't
run the ball and your quarterback is constantly under in
(02:11):
the shotgun, you take away the fear or the concept
of running the ball. So the Broncos definitely need to
need to be able to do that. You do you
have any guys that you will like, you know, whether
they are rookies entering the league or veteran guys that
you said, well, it would be great hypothetically speaking of
(02:32):
the Broncos could get this particular guy.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Well, I think that that's sort of the question is that,
like free agency, you're talking about a guy who's got
a lot of miles on him at this point, you know,
where You're like, I don't know, like Aaron Jones, I
think is a top running back in free agency. But
to me, I like the idea of maybe going more
of a younger guy who's going to come in and
(02:56):
he's got more fresher legs. And you know, of course
Ashton gent is gonna get all of the attention here
just being a you know, a Heisman finalist in the
year he had with Boise State. But I think that
there's pretty strong draft class. Maybe you don't have to
go in that direction in the first round, but maybe
if you had the opportunity to get a guy like him,
(03:18):
then you got to jump at that. But it seems
like he's gonna be gone before twenty So I don't know, Nick,
It's gonna be interesting to see just like how they
I guess what to me is like what are they
going to spend their elite Like where are they going
to spend their top picks on or what are they
going to spend their money on in free agency? That'll
(03:39):
let you know what they think about where the team
is and what they want to try and do well.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
This is why fregency comes for the draft. It allows
teams to kind of look at their roster and figure
out from a price point standpoint where they want to
go positionwise, and whatever you didn't get in free agency
you try to hit on in the draft. But you
saw you mentioned something that I think is important to say. Okay,
well you get the veteran guy, or that veteran guy's
(04:06):
got too much wear and tear. Right, the younger guy,
he's he's fresh. But there's pros and cons to that
that that rookie guy he doesn't have that experience, not
in the league. Yea, the veteran guy, he has that experience.
But you said, well, you know what a lot of
wear You know, I say, you use the Michelin tire effect.
What I mean by mission and tire Mission and tires
(04:28):
are known as being a good tire. So as we
talk about running backs and being worn down, the way
you do that is you build out that offense. That
offense ends up being the mission and tied for that
running back. One feeds kind of the other. And for me, man,
you may think that this is kind of an old
school thought, but he can apply today. I'm part of it.
I'm just getting a whole bunch of theories here. I'm
(04:51):
part of that Batman theory. You know that Batman No no, no, no, no, no,
no no no. That boom pang pow. Yes, that's what
I want to my running back, that boom bang pow.
It's smacking people in the face. Yeah, because you want
to be able to show teams that if you have
to go into a four minute offense where you just
have to run the ball, you can do that. If
(05:13):
you can do two minute office, you can do that.
But if you have to play one of those games
where you had to grind them out, knowing as though
they're gonna put eight nine minute in the box, we
don't care.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
I guess I should take back a little what I
just said, because like Saquan changed teams this last offseason,
and look at the year he had, Derrick Henry changed teams.
Nobody wanted Derrick Henry, no one, They thought he had
too many miles, But look at the year he had.
That being set, those two guys I think are special,
you know, and I don't really see that being available
(05:45):
out there for Lebroncas in free agency.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
But here, I'm gonna take what you said. I'm gonna
raise it a little right, I'm gonna pick a back
off of that. So when you talk about those teams,
it wasn't just one running back because some people feel
as though, well, you gotta get that one Bell Kyle
running back and that's gonna be your guy. That's not
the day's NFL. Because a lot of fans and people
in the media in this local market it was like,
(06:08):
what the Broncos are trying to utilize three four running backs? Well,
that's not what you should do. Well in San Francisco,
they made it work here at Mike Shanahan when I
play here, they made it work. So the whole concept
that well, you need just one or two bel callbacks, No,
but you need backs who are affective. So let me
give you some ideas. So you talked about Saquon Barkley,
(06:30):
so you had Saquon, but you also had game well
as well in Philadelphia. So you think about Buffalo, you
had Ty Johnson as well. You think about Detroit they
had David Montgomery, Engineer Gibbs, and then Cincinnati who they
you know, back back back when they went to the
Super Bowl. It was mixing and p Ron and Peter
(06:52):
Ron is making another return to the Super Bowl again.
How about that you get cut by the Broncos and
now you go back to the.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
Super Bowl and make the play.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Come on, man, that's true.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
But I mean they did feature Barkley, I mean, to
get that kind of production. You're your feet of them.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Well, once again, you are featuring him a player, right,
But they also had other players Dallas guarded, I mean
a J. Brown, you know, uh, you had Smith as well.
So there's players around. But the offensive receivers open up
the run game just like the run game opens up
(07:32):
the pass game for them. It's the thing that that
kind of it's then ebbs and flow and and it
actually works. But for me, for a running back for
the Broncos, there's some young running backs out there, and
I say, well, go out and grab one or two
of those running backs. But for a veteran guy, once again,
I go back to, you know, my mentality as a
defensive player, and I and I and for me, you
(07:54):
need physicality.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Yeah, but they also like to run that screen game
a lot with their running back. And you talk about
like maybe like the joker kind of role for Sean
Payton's offense, and MIM's doing a little bit of that.
You know, it'll be interesting to see what direction they
try to go, because like even a guy like Audric Estimate,
I thought he was going to be that physical guy
(08:17):
and then you know, he ends up being inactive for
the playoff game, and.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
The reason being because he fall in with the ball.
Ball security was somewhat of an issue. And idea is
that when when the team lose kind of reliability in
you to hold on to the ball, you know what happens,
You become to the ball, that's right, and you become
someone else's running back, not our running back. Oh yeah, yeah,
(08:40):
that's kind of the mindset. But the Broncos want to
be able to have an inside, outside game, and the
screen game has always been a huge part of what
Sean Payton has done in the time in New Wallance,
I got a veteran back for you. It may not
be really popular, but I like the fact of this
back being able to give you a one two combination
from skill set standpoint, and that's Kareem Hunt. He give
(09:02):
you physicality. He is, in my version, a milder if
Marshall Lynch is spicy. He is a milder version of
Marshall Lynch. And you need a guy like that on
your team. You don't want the spice. I mean, yes, yeah,
you want the spice, you want it, but if you
can't really get you know, the extra crispy with the spice,
(09:22):
you know, a guy like me I went to mile
You know you don't want the heartburn. No, no, I
want the heartburn you. Once again, here's we got to
remember about the spice. The way it comes in, it
goes out the same way. Right, you have to be careful.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
Now, that's true. You have to be careful, that's true. Yes,
So I think one thing we'll learn about this Broncos
Tima and their mindset moving forward is where they spend
their money. Like if they go out and get a
guy like Tee Higgins, then that'll tell you like, Okay,
this team is going to try and throw the ball
all over the place, like that's where they're focused on
this offseason.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
But well, not necessarily. Feel not necessarily, I mean you
can go out and say, well, you know that you
need a big target at the wide receiver position. The
guy who's going to be an instant offense. So if
you were to spend the money on Team T Higgins,
now you saying, okay, well, we just spend that money
on the running back or whatever in the draft. I
(10:15):
mean in the free agency. Now let's go to the draft.
We'll be a penny pitch while you get guys on
rookie deals. That's a way to do it. But for
the Broncos to go into twenty twenty five with bow
Nicks once again averaging about thirty five to thirty eight
passing attempts a game, that's a no bueno. That's a
no bueno.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
So would you think maybe going after a guy in
the in the first round of the draft, then maybe
you don't get maybe you don't get a cream Hunt,
maybe you don't get something like that. Would you be
okay with spending a first rounder on a running back.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
I'm okay with that. But with the Broncos sitting that twenty,
there's gonna be some other teams that want to move up.
And there are also some other good players in this league.
I mean, coming out of in the draft, take twenty,
move back, stay in the first round. Maybe you could
pick up another first round or a second rounder and
you still get hit on quality players.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Chompayne doesn't trade back, well, I know he.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Doesn't have a tradition of trading back, but sometimes you
got to be a little more strategic.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Yeah, because it is a good spot to kind of
think about doing that because.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
You see how the draft is working breaking down, and
usually in the draft you get all these mock drafts
and it bugs the crap out of me because you
get mock draft six point zero. It's like, dude, make
your make up, make up your mind, choose a mock
draft and decide because things are changing, and don't pick
based on what analysts are telling you. You look at
(11:44):
your team and decide which player fits and just do
it that way.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Uh. Daniel Jeremiah NFL dot Com. He came out with
his first mark draft already, the first one, and Ashton
Jens went number twelve and he was the only running
back to go in the first round. So he probably
won't be there at twenty. So if the Broncos are
like adamant about it, I mean fans are they get
a guy in their mind and then they say, okay,
(12:09):
you gotta get him, you know. But there's I think
there's some other running backs that me, I'd be fine
if they went in a different direction in the first round.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Okay, you can't. I mean obviously if you were building
like a fantasy team. He said, okay, well I want
to ask him genty. Okay, fine, but that's not how
this works. So this is why you go through your evaluation.
You put guys up on the board, and as you
work them out, maybe some a guy you flew the
guy with the bottom to the top or top to
the bottom. But the idea is you say, okay, well
(12:38):
what are all options, and you set up your options
one A, one B, and you see who falls where
you need them to fall. The Broncos don't need to
reach for a running back. You don't. You're at twenty.
You can actually move back still get your running back.
But the idea feel is even if you get your
running back, if you get your wide receiver, you gotta
(12:59):
use those guys. You got a feature them.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
I mentioned the Jeremiah Mick draft. He has a safety
coming to the Broncos at twenty, a safety. Yet Nick
m and Worry from South Carolina. Nah, safety seems high
maybe for a first rounder unless guy man.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
The safety position is now starting to be talked about
more based on how athletic the tight ends have become.
But you're not taking a safety in the first round
because once again we're looking for day one instant impact.
That safety could definitely help you because the Broncos do
need to upgrade. But what side of the ball needs
more help? What side ball you think needs more help?
(13:43):
The offense, that's right, So why would I spend a
number first round pick number twenty on the safety.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
I'll say the offense needs more help, But I think
on the defensive side. Last year, a lot of guys
had career years, Nick.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
And so.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
If for some of these guys, are they gonna be
able to repeat what they did last year for the
defense or are they gonna be able to build? Like
is Zach Allen gonna come back and have even a
better year than last year. I mean, we don't know,
but one thing is for sure. Last year was the
best year of his career. So so many guys had
their best year of their career last year, Nick, Benito,
(14:21):
Jonathan Cooper. I mean, you just go on and on
and on. Not all of those guys are gonna continue
to build or repeat what they did well.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
No they're they're not, because obviously teams are gonna watch
some more family and figure out way to kind of
block them or slow them down. But from once again,
I'm speaking from a point of defense and saying, okay, well,
the one thing that can help your defense is your
offense converting third downs scoring points. Because what that means
(14:50):
is you talk about Benito, you talk about Zach Allen, Well,
their stats could go up because if your offense is
scoring more points, the opposing offense, guess what, they got
to throw the ball, That's right, they gotta throw the ball.
And what that means is you get more opportunities to
rush the passer. So for me, this is me building
a team. If I were in charge, I'm looking to
(15:11):
enhance my offense. I want to score more points on average,
so I can actually give my defense an opportunity. Because
remember against Buffalo and against Cincinnati, time of possession were
huge issues and the defense was out there a long
time because offense didn't convert third.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Downs, Yeah, could not move the change. That was a
big issue. We had a text here from six zero
zero six Ribbi is not in the budget. Nick, maybe
flank Steak, I don't know, you.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Know what, I'll take it this better than Dan Roman
Nutan's I'll tell you that much.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
Either way, it's gonna be well done for you.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
Right.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
Well, oh what I did not know this, so we
gotta talk more about this after the break. You're listening
to the Broncos country tonight. Before we went to break there,
we were talking about steak and it came out that
you like your steak cooked a certain way.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
Well, it's been some fabrications, okay, you know on this program,
and both Ben and Grant have led individuals to believe
that I like my steak like a car tire, like
really rubbery, and that is far from the truth. And
I know there was a texture who said, well, we
(16:26):
don't have ribbi, but we have you know, flank steak. Now,
flank steak is like fourteen to fifty a pound, right,
there's fourteen fifty of pounds, so flank steak is not bad.
But you also said, you know, the Broncos can take
the flank steak approach and we can make for heaters
out of it exactly exactly, so that way, once again,
everybody eats, and that's what you want in the offense,
(16:49):
everybody eating. But no man, I like my steak kind
of like medium, well or in certain cases, depending on
the cut of the meat, medium, Okay, So it all
depends on the cut of the meat.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
I just I heard well done. I just didn't know.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
I've never said well done. They've just taken this whole idea.
They've taken this whole idea that I like my steak.
You know, well, no, man, I like to be able
to cut into it and there's a little you know,
pink in there because I still want it to be moist.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Yes, because medium, well, you're living on the edge.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Well yes, I am like, like, there's a fine steak
establishment here that if I were to order a steak,
the plates come out really hot. So yes, so if
I wanted to So, if I ordered my steak medium,
I can slice it, throw it on the plate. Boh,
it's ready to go. But grant and profit and ben
(17:57):
have people believe in that I want my steak well done.
I've never said that.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
The truth will set you free, niggie.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
That's right, it definitely sets you free.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Earlier in the show, we started tease talking a little
bit about the Pro Bowl Nick of course, that going
on this week in Orlando, saw a picture of a
Peyton Manning hanging out at Disney World down there. I'm interested,
what do you think about the Pro Bowl? Like, do
fans care about this anymore? Is there a way that
(18:29):
they need to rework this so that it matters?
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Again, it doesn't matter what they do. They can't rework
it to where it was years ago, because that I
think the period from I want to say little before
twenty twenty, that's when the Pro Bowl was ruined because
guys were out there just kind of going through the motion.
(18:55):
There was no effort, and it looked like flag football.
The league was just like, well, we might as well
make it into a flag football tournament. Now, there are
certain ways that you can spice up the Pro Bowl
just a little, and more people may be more inclined
to watch. Because if the league had like a flag
(19:16):
football challenge all season long, and you took the championship
team of that league and they played against the NFL
All Stars, now we're talking. Now we're talking because now
you got some hungry guys out there who they never
played bothos sports. But if they can brag that they
(19:39):
gave someone in the NFL Michael Parson, the business just
think about that, and well, I wouldn't call it that,
but that's kind of the idea. Okay, then people can
live tweet on the sideline after it because you take
the same format like how they had for the XFL,
whether the reporters are right there on the sideline giving
(20:00):
the reports, Yeah, more access. Yeah, there you go. Now
now we're talking.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
Yeah, like you know, they don't even play an actual
football game really in and now, so like it's it's
come a long way in the wrong direction if you
ask me from like when Sean Taylor made that hit
two thousand and six Bro Grant. That was a different time.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
That was one of Grant's favorite plays. Yes, that was
in fact a different time, and a lot of guys
don't play the game that way anymore. But a lot
of these All star games you're thinking about, how can
you make them more exciting? Like the NFL is arguably
the best professional sports for building drama and living up
(20:46):
to creating the hype and leaving up to it. Now,
when you're talking about the best All Star game you got,
that's got to be baseball. Oh really, it's got to
be baseball. No basketball, man, it's behind because.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
There's something on the line in baseball, well.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
Yeah, it is something online in baseball. But in basketball,
I mean, let's call like almost two hundred points a team.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
Yeah, but that gets competitive down the stretch, I know
it doesn't. They had the new ending, you know where.
It's fun to watch that way.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
They keep trying to change it. See for me, I
love it. When Kobe was playing, Kobe was playing defense
no matter what.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Now, join Waight bleeding out there.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Yes, exactly. Kobe was taking dudes to the to the
to the shot and giving him the business.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
But what I was gonna say, is a football like
that Sean Taylor head, they don't want to get hit
like that. So, like, how do you make it? It's
just hard because it's a physical sport.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Hey, listen, man, back where I came from, in the
neighbor my neighborhood, they said, you scared, call the police.
You scared, call the police. No, say, what's that? Well,
very true, that's true. They say that. They do say
that they have it. They had been said. But the idea,
(22:04):
if you are playing a contact sport and with Sean
Taylor's mentality means gonna get hit, Something's gonna happen.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
Now, like Quinn Minor has turned down the invite. He
was like, I want to earn my trip to the
Pro Bowl.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
I think he should have gone to me.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
Yeah, I was gonna say, there's no value to hanging
out with some of the best in the league. Yeah,
because so the game isn't what it is, right.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Because I can understand the idea of earning it. But
if you are an alternate, I say go right, because
when you saw talking about contracts and other things, you
can say that you went to the Pro Bowl yep,
and someone can say, well you altonate, I don't care
I went to the Pro Bowl. How many players can
say that they actually went there? Then you're absolutely right, Phil,
(22:48):
You actually at the game, and then that a weekend
and that hotel where you talking to different guys, you
can pick up on different things, you can exchange ideas.
But being in that the confinements of where the Pro
Bowl is being held and being in the atmosphere, I
believe that it does a lot to encourage a guy,
(23:10):
especially if it's kind of your first Pro Bowl appearance.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
Yeah. I think that you could just learn a lot
and it could be valuable. And you know, one guy
who takes a Pro Bowl. Seriously, is Peyton Manning. Here's
what he had to say about it on the Pat
McAfee show last night.
Speaker 3 (23:24):
I saw Drake may having a conversation with Baker Mayfield,
and to me, there's room that in a young quarterback
like Drake may learning how to be a pro, learning
how to go through a coaching change, which Baker Mayfield
has done several times. Right, that's the value. How do
(23:46):
we keep these players in the exposition learning from a
veteran player. And that's where I saw ray Lewis have
a conversation with Patrick Willis.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
I saw the.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
Dailien Thomlinson have conversations with Adrian Peterson. That's how we
keep the game strong. That's why I think it's important.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Yeah, I agree with him. I mean the game is
just sort of like trying to be for entertainment purposes
right now, you know, like the certainly the skills competition
and all that. You know, it's like sort of fun
to watch. I don't really watch it, but I think,
like I like watching the clips online or on social
you know, like, hey, here's Joe Burrow trying to hit
these targets. That's interesting to me. But hey, not trying.
(24:29):
He hit them all. He hit them.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Joe doesn't miss.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
But I think that for the player, you could still
learn a lot just talking ball, talking about how to
be a pro, talking about the little details. You know,
Quinn could have been hanging out with Quinin Nelson all week,
you know, the All Pro guard from with the Colts,
Like you could just pick up little things that improve
your game just a little bit.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Well, for me, like, you're absolutely right. And after my career,
had an opportunity to go down to Pro Bowl, and
Chris Harris was there at the Pro Bowl, so I
got a chance to see him. I got a standers
to see so many other players, But for me, I
got a chance to see guys that I heard about
or I watched as a kid growing up. And for me,
(25:16):
I got a chance to meet Mike Singletary. And I
wish I would have had an opportunity to do it
during my playing days. But it was still an honor
to be in his presidence and knowing how intense he
played the game and how serious he was about the game.
And you think about Drake May, you can say, well,
did Drake May have all the numbers to go to
(25:39):
the Pro Bowl outright, and the answer was like, he
played well, but no, he didn't have the stat so
he was an alternate. But by him being there, you're
now around Peyton Manning, You're around all these other players
that you can bounce things off. You have Sam Donald
is there. So being able to be in that room
(26:00):
and to pick those the brains of those guys, to me,
that's that's priceless. But I understand a player saying I
don't want to go until I earn it. But at
the same time, you had an opportunity, even though it
was an ultimate to be in the room with these
great players that could possibly help to take your game
(26:22):
to a whole another level or piss you off enough
to say, you know what, I'm gonna get on my
grind once this Pro Bowl is over.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
Yeah, yeah, exactly like you and just being there could
get you, you know, your juice is flowing.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Off the course.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
Yeah, that's why I think like every young player should
try and take a trip to a Hall of Fame,
because you like, when you're just there, it's it inspires you.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
You know, you know what, You're absolutely right, every player
should take a trip to the Hall of Fame. But
there's still another place that you should take a trip
to that. When I was playing, I never went because
it was like going to the President's office. And I
was in New York City my first three years, and
(27:03):
Curtis Martin used to go all the time, and it
was frowned upon because, well, why are you going to
the league office? You know, it's always us against them, right,
what are you trying to do? And I wish that
I did the same thing that he would do by
going to the League office. So I would encourage any player,
current or former, if you've never been to the League office,
(27:25):
you should go.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
What kind of things did you pick up there?
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Well, for me, it was it's the history of the league.
You go from florid to floor and you walk the
halls and you see so much of the league history,
of the shoulders of the guys that you stand on,
but also the foundation that you're leaving for guys who
are coming behind you. That's your building in the league
(27:51):
has a thing in a policy where if you are
from a player and you're looking to close a business deal,
you can hold the meeting at the League Office.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
That's kind of a cool little thing that you know,
most people don't know.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Yeah, because think about it. I mean people once again,
for certain people walking in the building, it can be
very intimidating.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Believe that impression. Yeah for sure.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
But at the same time, it's like, Wow, I'm in
the League office and there's not too many people who
get a chance because once you go to the League Office,
there's levels of security you have to go through to
one to get in the building and then get on
the elevator so to get up to those upper level
floors that not too many people in fans and people
(28:33):
in the media get a chance to go and visit.
To me that that's that's huge. But going to Ken yes,
I encourage guys to do that because it is it's
freaking awesome. But going to the League office you gotta
do that.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
And they used to do the Rookie Symposium in Canton.
They used to take all the drafted guys and I'll
meet there, tour you know, the actual museum and then
also like talk about like how to handle your finances
and all.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
Well, there's some other things that happened that to those
league meetings where it was like, yeah, we need to
stop that. Who was it Chris Carter who was honored
to kind of be on that stage talking to guys,
and he was telling guys, it gives bad advice. It's
(29:21):
good advice and bad advice all at the same time.
By telling them, hey, they need to have a fall guy. Oh,
so you're sinuating that they're going to get in.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
Trouble at some point and you.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
Need someone to be the fall guy.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
That's the thing about advice, right, You got to trust
who's coming from, you know, And I think those young
guys they're probably getting advice from everybody. You can't just
there's probably a lot of noise, you know, Phil, I
don't even know.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
Once you get into the NFL, there's a lot of noise.
There are a lot of people who are coming out
of the woodwork, and the ability to trust people it
goes down because you're looking at around like, well, who
was here for me? So everyone is out there like, hey, man,
I want to be an NFL player. I want to
make all that money. Be careful what you're asking for.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
Yeah, we got a text here from two five three,
two All Star games suck all of them? Do leave
it all all in the past.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
What have been the home run derby? I mean, come on, man, nothing.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
Is better than three point contests and a slam dunk competition.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Well, the slam dunk contest is kind of went down
down every day of the week. Yes, oh man, and
I like the celebrity baseball game because that's always hilarious
to as well.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Some of those guys try to swing's it?
Speaker 2 (30:44):
That's that's another avenue that the league can actually use.
How about a celebrity flag football game? Could you some
of that?
Speaker 1 (30:52):
Well, they could put it back in Hawaii make players
want to go.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
Hey, what was he phil? That trip to Hawaii is
not as free as you think. Oh, there's man that call. First,
you're flying allver to Hawaii. You got people who want
to go.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Sure, you can't just go. Yes, so now your family's going.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
Paying for your family and if your wife has family
they want to go. That's hotel room, that's food, that's travel.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Doesn't cover some of that, you know, none of it?
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Wait? Wait, you talking about the NFL not for lonely
over that Yes, oh okay, you in expensive. Yeah, you
end up going to the Pro Bowl, but you end
up more in the whole than you were when you
first got there.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
See this is the kind of knowledge that yes, we
can learn here.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
I think I'm gonna hit up Troy Vincent and say
give him some advices, a suggestion on the Pro Bowl.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
Yeah, I want to go to Hawaii. That's that's just
my take, all right. Well, hey, it's been fun chopping
it up with you, Nick. Always a good time, but
especially fun on a Friday night on Broncos Country Tonight
it is.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
Bill Good Friday. So it's all about bringing some juice
at Boom Pig Pole
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