May 20, 2025 • 37 mins
In the first hour, Dick Fain and Hugh Millen discuss NFL players taking part in Olympics flag football for the 2028 games, listen and react to John Schneider’s comments about how and why DK Metcalf is no longer with the Seahawks plus his lack of statistics here.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We got a little Wia we're going to talk about
a little bit later on today. Hugh with Monte Coler
at six o'clock today, the famed O Day football coach
who has tied Sid Auten for the all time record
in the state of Washington for high school wins. He
needs one more victory, which will assuredly come this September,
maybe even August. I don't even know what the schedule
is off to find out from him with their first
(00:20):
game is. But that'll be fun to talk to Mani
about forty years of high school football that he has
accomplished there in the middle of Seattle. John Wilner will
joins the four o'clock today. Brian Schmitzer at five point
forty five. But you know, let's just start with the
topic of the day. In everybody's favorite sport, or most
people's favorite sport in this country at least, and that's football.
(00:41):
The owners have decided unanimously that they are going to
allow NFL players to participate in the twenty twenty eight
Summer Olympics in flag football. I want to read to you.
I pulled up here. Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson was
in the room today, he says, quote, to be honest,
(01:03):
I'm at a loss for words to think about the
chance of playing in the Olympics and getting a gold medal.
It is a dream. And I guess you know here
we always just kind of disassociate the sport of football
with the Olympic Games for obvious reasons. Now maybe the
next generation won't disassociate NFL players. And if you grew
(01:23):
up as a football player like you did, you had
no chance, Like there's there was not an Olympic football
for Hugh Millon to play or anybody else to play,
which you had if you just happened to grow up
as a as a basketball player, for example, or if
you happen to grow up as a as a gymnast
for example. So what's your take on this sport that
has never been associated with the Olympic Games now will be.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Well, I think it's wonderful to grow the game. I
think the more people who are exposed to it. If
you if you watch the flag, it may compel you
to watch it to be more interested in the NFL,
the tackle game.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
I think it's a great decision.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
I think that the certainly there is a risk of injury,
and they had a running back for the Patriots. Man
google this Robert Edwards. Robert Edwards. Yeah, he blew out
his knee. I I understand there could be a career
ending injury.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
He I was on sand though. That was that was
sand beach, beach flag football. They're playing at the the
lead was at the Pro Bowl, right, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
And I'd like, look, I've coached you know, all the kids.
You know, We've we've talked about I've coached kids flag
football five on five when they were younger, seven on
seven when they were older, and and so I'm curious
the rules. Some some situations don't allow for a pass rush,
but the ball has to be out in three seconds.
(02:46):
Some some situations do call for a pass rush. So
the where I'm going on that is is when you
have a high school seven on seven tournament and there's
there's no pass rush, there's literally, I would say, almost
zero chance for a quarterback to get hurt because the
only way you'd get hurt.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
You know, you're just throwing routes on air. Nobody you're
not moving, and I can't take off, right the quarterbacks
can tell those situations cannot take off.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Yeah, you just the ball has to be out in
three seconds and or two and a half.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
I would imagine there, at least the ones that I've
seen in the past, I think there will be a
pass rusher. It'll be more like what you and I
used to coach, right where you could either blitz or
not blitz, but you could you'd have to send a
Russer rusher from a certain point because that like seven
or eight yards, yeah, like seven or eight yards, and
that way quarterbacks would be able to run once once
in the.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Past I coached that, and then and then that was
younger age, and then I and then as I said,
I graduated, Uh, you know, at some point there was
no pass rush and I was just Okay, the ball's
got to be out in two and a half seconds.
So so but that if there is a pass rush,
then you're there's gonna be a primacy on an athletic quarterback,
(03:54):
and of course that there's a risk that you're gonna
you know, pop an achilles heel or or any of
the other on contact injuries that we usually see. In fact,
the NFL most serious leg injuries are non contact, you know,
whether it's you know, acls or achilles or what have you.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
But but I think it's worth the risk.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
I think the Olympics as an institution, it's one of
the better things that we have in humanity. I perhaps
was influenced my age, and you know, I'll bring it
up on the radio unless I think it's it's very
centrally relevant to the conversation. And in this case, I
think it is because my first Olympics that I remember
(04:34):
vividly was nineteen seventy two. And during that time, you know,
this is almost the height of the Cold War. You
had the Eastern Bloc countries, the Soviet Union, East Germany,
you know, Romanian, Czechosovakian. Although you never saw those people,
there's no social media, you never knew what how those
(04:54):
people lived. You never saw them other than the Olympics.
It was as if they were from another planet. They
would just show up every four years, and then we
compete him against them in the games, and and all
of the you know called NATO countries, the Western countries,
call them what you want.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
This was a the movie.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Miracle kind of captures it. But I think unless you
lived it and the real threat, unless you went and
lived through nuclear bomb sirens at your elementary or middle school,
and what you do if there's a nuclear bomb, like
there's a real threat. And and the tension internationally geopolitically,
(05:33):
you know, it was just so thick and so ominous
and and in a in a way frightful as to
what could happen. And so when you have the Olympics
where you say, hey, let's get together and let's just
break bread, and I use that in a figurative term,
break bread over athletic competition. Maybe that can that can
(05:56):
you bring the world a little closer together? Like I
leave in the Olympics in that regard because I've seen
an are now in later years, the Olympics have an appeal,
but it's there's not the nationalism that there was, And
so hey, maybe this can ward off future tensions. And
(06:17):
so I'm I'm all in on the Olympics. And and
and to the extent remember what is oh should I
should have looked this up alto uh sidious forta?
Speaker 1 (06:28):
I think is higher? Was a higher, faster, strong? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Yeah, And and and so that that's the motto of
the Olympics. And so to me, when I see a
guy standing on the podium and his national anthem is
is playing when he Benzo Ben's bows to get the
gold medal put around his neck, I want to know
that he is Altius, sidious fortius.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
He's the he's the the.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Highest jumper or the fastest runner, or the strongest do
on planet Earth forgetting political systems and what have you.
So so there was a time, of course where I
had to aggravatingly watch the amateur basketball players. I remember
watching that seventy two game live where the United States
lost to the Soviet Union in basketball, and I mean
(07:17):
it just transcended sports, that's all I can tell you.
It transcended sports. It was like a statement is like
we had a space race, who's the first person in space?
Who what country's gonna be the first person? Saying what's
going to be the first country on the moon, Like
this is a real thing that transcends sports. When we
lost to the Soviets, man, that was a devastation that's
almost indescribable for young people. And so to me, yes,
(07:43):
put our best players in there, and I'm glad that
the owners are willing to take that risk, grow the
game and put the United States best foot forward. Hey,
if we selac the world early on fine. You know,
maybe twenty years from now they'll catch up in the games,
will be a little bit more competitive. Hopefully in my lifetime.
I ever see the United States losing football in the Olympics,
but I'm glad I get to see it.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Well, that's my concern is just like who are they
going to play? But but you're right, I mean, maybe
they just you know, spend the first four or five
Olympics winning every single game seventy to nothing, and that's
you know, maybe that will grow the game throughout the
throughout the world in flag football, because it doesn't really
seem like the NFL game has really grown worldwide. I
think the interest in the NFL game has grown worldwide,
(08:24):
but we're not seeing, you know, American football take root
like we saw under David Stern in the NBA. I
mean the NBA took root it thirty years ago around
the globe and now look what's happened. You could make
an argument that the five best players on planet Earth
(08:45):
there are zero Americans in the in the NBA. So
that that is and maybe we'll see that thirty forty
fifty years from now in football. But I got four
names for you here. You're talking about faster, higher, stronger.
This is what I don't want to see in football.
I'm gonna give you four names. I don't expect you
to know what these names mean. Kareem Maddocks, Canyon Barry,
(09:07):
Jimmer for Debt, and Dylan Travis. Do you know what
those four people are associated with? Well, I don't know
all of them. I you probably recognized Jim or for
dinner for that, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
I mean you know he's a great, great shooter for
BYU that kind of flamed out he played internationally.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
I don't know. I didn't expect you to know the
group that is the twenty twenty four US men's three
on three basket There is nothing about faster, higher, stronger,
about Jimmer for Debt, Dylan Travis, Kareem Maddocks, and Canyon Barry.
That was a joke for now women, How did we do?
(09:50):
How did we do? I don't think they even I
don't think. I'm not even sure if they qualified for
the Olympics, yeah after oh no, they missed out in
the Tokyo Games, but they will have a three on three.
I don't even know how how they did. I know
the women's team was better the women's team had WNBA
players at least, I mean, the men's team had NBA players.
The women's team at least had WNBA players, But it
(10:10):
certainly wasn't like the top four WNBA players you could find.
It was like good WNBA players, and that was good enough.
But that's what I don't want to see. I don't
want to see the third string wide receiver on the
Falcons and the fourth string wide receiver on the Titans
as my two starting wide receivers, and the third quarterback
(10:32):
on the Colts as the trigger man in the Olympics.
I don't want to see that. I want to see
Joe Burrow and Justin Jefferson. Yeah, or whatever twenty twenty
eighth version of Joe Burrow and Justin Jefferson is on
the Olympics.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Well, if you have a pass rush, you're more likely
to see an athletic guy. Although I designed a whole
offense in seven on seven where every ball, every single
ball on every play will get out before the pass
rush gets there from eight yards and and I think
in the entire season there was maybe two times where
(11:04):
that didn't come two past ten where that didn't come true.
So it's possible that that schematically, they'll just say, hey,
we'll put you know, Josh Allen, or let's say Pat
Mahomes Pat Mahomes back there. And even though he can scramble,
he doesn't scramble as well as Lamar Jackson. But if
he throws better, we'll just we'll design an offense where
(11:26):
he'll play with you know, great anticipation and the ball
will be out every time before the passwords.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
That is possible.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Another element of this is do you go both ways?
And one of the things about if you do seven,
if this resembles seven on seven like what NFL teams have.
For those who don't know, I apologize for those who do,
and you roll in your eyes and go, duh.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Yeah, we know.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
But if you went to an NFL practice, there's a
period where for about twenty minutes, it could be more
a little more, you know, at least eighteen minutes you
go seven on seven. And what seven on seven is
is it's it's regular passing. It's all both teams on
both sides, minus the offensive line and minus the defensive line.
(12:14):
So you're going the offense has the quarterback and then
five targets be there be them five receivers or be
them four receivers in one tight end and three receivers
in one tight end and one run running back. Usually
that's what it is because the eleven personnel league what
I just just describe, and then you and then the
defense is the linebackers in the secondary and then they
(12:34):
drop into their normal zones or they play their man
and man just like their normal calls on Sunday tackle.
You're essentially practicing without linemen. And that's what seven on
seven is. So if you have the Olympics and they are,
they're they're essentially just seven on seven. Now you've got
NFL players, is like, I've been doing this all my life,
(12:55):
and I've been doing this all last season because that's
what we do three days a week Wednesday, Thursday, Ry
we do seven on seven. And but if you have
to go both ways, that'll be interesting. So so now
do wide receivers have to play defense or do you
or do you have defenders? And then defenders of course
they're not tackling. Now it's how good of a flag
polar are you? Because and that's a different Now there's
(13:17):
some similarities. You gotta you gotta come, you gotta break down.
You gotta drop your hips, widen your base, and then
you've got a reachs with both hands. Uh and and
usually you kind of grab both hips and you just
grab and hope one of them grabs a flag. But
that is a that is that will be a factor
for the NFL players. Is okay, who now has fast
(13:38):
enough hands to grab the flag?
Speaker 1 (13:42):
That's that's a huge part of it.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
And generally the shorter, quicker guys, like on defense, I'd
have my corners, man, I want my I want hiding
the safeties in the back end, and I want shorter
corners up up front and with uh, with faster hands
because because pulling those flags is obviously vital, it's it's
the equivalent of a tackle. And so this will be
really interesting to watch the the the both the the
(14:08):
the similarities and the differences of our beloved NFL game
and watching how it manifests in an Olympic format. I
can't wait.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Devin Witherspoon seems to be the perfect type corner for this, right.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Yeah, yeah, he covered he yehs changed, the direction is elite.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
He covers ground. You know, I think he's got great hands. Uh.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
You know, a lot of defenders. You know, but but
but that you don't really know, uh who has great
flag pulling skills until you get him out and see
if they can pull a flag? Yep, yeah, and so
and then you got the question is the is the
ball carrier permitted to do three sixties? You know in
some cases yes, some cases no. If the guy's doing
three sixties, now you got you know, that puts a
(14:53):
greater burden on your ability to pull a flag. So
so it's not just hey, can we complete passes or
defend passes once it's caught?
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Can we pull flags?
Speaker 2 (15:01):
And and and you know, some of our guys may
may have never played flag football because my experience, I
started coaching flag football when the kids were literally in
third grade, and then I had two kids to separated
by two years. When they when they graduate to a
certain age, I think around eighth grade now it might
have been seventh. Somewhere around seventh and eighth grade, certainly
(15:22):
before high school, you stop pulling flags and it's just
one hand touch. It's just seven on seven like you
have in normal eleven on eleven football practices. It's seven
on seven and and if a guy comes up and
one hand touch and then that's where the whistle blows
gotcha and so so my point, yeah, we're breaking. But
my point is a lot of these guys may have
(15:43):
never pulled a flag in their.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Life, or at least since they were in third grade.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
But if they didn't, if they didn't play round, if
they just played you know, tackle football, I mean, they
could have been playing tackle football and said I'm not
I'm playing track and baseball in the spring. I'm not
playing a flag football and so and then when they
got to high school, the only seven on seven they
did was not pulling a flag. It was just one
hand touch like I described.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
Well, to answer your question, the US men finished seven
out of seventh out of eight teams in the Olympics.
The US women finished with the bronze medal out of
eight teams. So neither did that extremely well. I would
think that would be different for flag football. Take a
quick time out and we come back. You know, yesterday
I talked in the one to three show about the
John Schneider take on the DK Metcalf situation. Why did
(16:30):
he end up in Pittsburgh, And we'll play that for
you and get Hughes take on a next on ninety
three point three KJRFM.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Broad casting live from the R and R Foundation Specialist
Broadcast Studio. Now back to SAFTI and Dig powered by
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on Sports Radio in ninety three point three kJ R FAM.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
SOFTI and Deck with Jackson with Dick and Jackson, but
no SAFTI. I'm confused, but have no fear. Hugh Millen
is here. Oh, that's easier. He's like, oh jeez oh man, Well,
yesterday when I was we were kind of shuffled all
around yesterday. I did Ian show yesterday with him out
from one to three and uh I played a cut
(17:16):
Hugh from John Schneider and and to me it was interesting.
To me, it shed it shed some light on exactly
what the situation was between the Seahawks and DK Metcalf
and why indeed was he sent to Pittsburgh. How much
was this a choice of the Seahawks, how much of
this was a choice of DK. I was always under
(17:38):
the impression that it was just kind of a you know,
tip of a cap parting the ways, kind of mutual,
and that doesn't necessarily sound how it went.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
Heaking a very open conversations last couple of years and
about his future and and what that looked like and
what what he wanted, and you know, we always had
to do it's best for the organization first and foremost.
That's what that's what drives us, everybody, everybody that throughout
the national football leage that that does what we do.
(18:10):
And it was a parent that he wanted to he
wanted to move on, and uh so when we got
back to the combine, we had some some real uh
you know, clear direct conversations and at that point decided
it was probably best for both of us to move forward.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Was it a salary related thing, John, No, No, it
really wasn't.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
It wasn't.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
It was interesting because it wasn't like animosity either. It
was like, you know, somebody is really really uh you know,
we really really wanted a fresh start, and uh, you know,
it's not like you know, we went into the off
season thinking this would be a possibility, but he was
just uh, he was pretty he was pretty dug in
on it. So ended up working out for both clubs,
(18:52):
working out for us, working out for Pittsburgh, and we
wishing the best. He's a great guy and obviously a
high end competitor.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
I mean two sentences there speak really clearly. DK and
I have had very open conversations the last couple of
years about his future and what he wanted, and it
was a parent he wanted to move on. That was
the first kind of money sentence. The second money sentence
was he really really wanted a fresh start. It's not
like we went into the offseason thinking was a possibility,
but he was just pretty dug in on it. So,
(19:21):
you know, before we you know, kind of massage what
some of the other people are saying about this, Hugh,
let's get get your take on and does does anything
that you heard John Schneider say there surprise you at all?
Speaker 2 (19:33):
No, I'm not surprised. First of all, I kind of
feel like this is the top of the hour segment
because there's a lot of meat on this topic.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
I always come back to it, but here, but here
we are.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
So I would just say, I recognize that my take
is going to be in the minority because I just
having I'm not saying it's unique to Seattle, but I'm
a Seattle light. I know how our f and everybody's fans.
If a player says I don't want to be with
you anymore, then we're gonna say, well, f you, you know,
(20:08):
good riddance, see you later. I understand that's the prevailing thought,
but let me just give it a different perspective on this.
So we clearly have a divorce here. So what John
Schneider is describing is one to use the analogy. One
spouse is saying, I've had enough, this is irreparable. It's
(20:30):
just better for us to have a clean start. And
I think now I'm going to present a hypothetical as
an example only to get us to buy into a
philosophy or mindset. I really it's a pet peeve of
mind when people don't understand the analogous parts of an analogy.
I understand that there's differences, but if one spouse, let's
(20:56):
just use a very extreme example that we can all
shake our heads on. If one spouse was was repeatedly
cheating on and or abusing in different ways the the
other spouse, there could be a point where hey, the
the spouse who is will call the victim in this
could at some point say I don't want to be
(21:17):
in this relationship anymore. It's time to move on. And
it wouldn't be that spouse's fault, agreed, Can we can
at least philosophically agree on that, Okay?
Speaker 1 (21:27):
So then.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
For the burden would be on me two to give
you convincing reasons why DK Metcalf went from a eager
Seattle Seahawk to now he wants a divorce, Okay, because
because all John Schneider was doing was describing the very
last page of the last chapter of the book. Agreed
(21:50):
like that's how okay. So what what I would say
is that there is a series of of things that
have had happened from from Metcalf's perspective that where he's like, okay,
I'm out and and and let's let's you know, let's
let's start, uh, or I don't want to ignore the
(22:12):
obvious may have been you know, usually the answered all
your questions is money. And it may have been very
clear to DK Metcalf that the Seahawks were not going
to pay him what he thought he could get out
away from the Seahawks right And in fact, when he
signed with Pittsburgh, the Steelers immediately made him the third
(22:33):
highest wide receiver in the NFL. So he it may
be is just as simple as like, yeah, DK. The
the the conversation that that John Schneider is describing is
the culmination of DK and his agent realizing we're never
gonna get.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
From the Seahawks what we think we can get elsewhere.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
And and and maybe they had pretty concrete UH understanding
of what the what the Steelers and or other teams
there's you know, the charges were in the mix whatever,
But let's just say it's just the Steelers. So maybe
maybe it's just as simple as money. But I think
there's some other facets to consider with with DK Metcalf.
(23:18):
For example, DK Metcalf, I will give you a undeniable fact.
DK Metcalf had was on the end of more UH
Cover six h than any other receiver in football.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
And Geno Smith.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
When you when you I'm looking right here at the
NFL Stats portal, when you calculate Geno Smith and the
attempts that he had against Cover six, that's a roll coverage.
It's double coverage on one side and free access to
the others. For for example, let me just explain, I'm
gonna I'll give you a touchdown that happen with the
(24:01):
Cardinals where where we're down at Arizona, the UH we're
in the red zone. DK mechiff is a split in
the Cardinals. They rotate over the top safety over DK corner,
jamming DK. And the way the the the coverage is
is now they run a coal flat combination to suck.
(24:23):
Tyler Lockett is out on the edge, the closest receiver
to the right away from DK. He runs a hook
the the the corner nails down on the hook and
that leaves JSN one on one with the safety on
that side, not Buddha Baker the other safety, and so
JSN he comes out, he's got free access. He comes up,
he nods to the middle, breaks the corner wide opens.
(24:45):
You know, Smith hits him touchdown. Beautiful. Okay, that play
doesn't happen if you're not. It's a cover six beater.
That's exactly how they ran that. It was a red
zone play. That's exactly how they drew it up. It's
exactly how they executed it. In the Friday set an
on seven and that is a DK Metcalf sucking up
the double coverage to the other side where Chris Collins
(25:05):
were said, DK Metcalf, his gravitation is like a planet. Okay,
and so so so Cover six. Is that you know
Tyler Lockett had two touchdowns against the Lions. Well, you
look at at at the defense, they got two guys
bracketing uh DK and everybody else. All the other four
(25:28):
eligible receivers are one on one and d and DK's
got the double coverage. Like NFL teams are telling you
who they think is the most feared receiver. So Gino Smith,
if you he was fourth in the NFL in attempts
for the against Cover six for the entire season. But
if you take if you filter the two weeks that
(25:48):
d K wasn't on the field because he was hurt,
So you take out weeks eight and nine, Now Geno
Smith is number one. So and that's that's not just
for for Gino, that's all quarterbacks. Now for that theory
to hold, you'd say, well, tell me some of the
the Well, second place was Sam Darnold. Oh who might
(26:09):
they be rolling on? Then justin Jefferson. Third place was
Bo Nicks. Okay, they don't have a start, but Courtland
Suttland had one hundred and thirty five targets. The next
closest guy nobody else, Javon Valet at fifty eighty Okay.
Then Kyler Murray, Oh, okay, they've got Marvin Harrison, Baker
(26:31):
Mayfield is the next guy, Mike Evans, Okay, so Joe
Burrow is the next guy.
Speaker 1 (26:37):
So that you're saying, the defense of Mr. Chase defense
telling you who the elite receivers are, is what you're saying.
What's that the defense is telling you who the elite
receivers are? Okay, Okay, Well tell here's what we're gonna do.
Here's what we're gonna do. Here we're gonna do. We're
gonna move fun with audio. We'll continue this conversation, so
we'll have ample time. Right after the break, we'll move
(26:57):
on with audio. Four thirty and got John Wilnert for
coming back next on ninety three point three KJR FM broad.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
Casting live from the R and R Foundation Specialist broad
JAST Studio. Now back to Softie and Dick powered by
Emerald Queen Casino, the Betty and Capital of the Northwest,
on Sports.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
Radio ninety three point three k j R.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Half.
Speaker 4 (27:16):
We had some clear direct conversations and at that point
decided it was probably best for both of us to
move forward.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Was it a salary related thing?
Speaker 4 (27:26):
No, No, it really wasn't.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
It wasn't.
Speaker 4 (27:28):
It was interesting because it wasn't like animosity either. It
was like and we really really wanted a fresh start.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
That's John Schneider's take on things. I'm going we heard
Hughes impassioned. I'm not done. I know, I know, we
heard the part you We we paused you at halftime.
Here you you you put a put a very very
yes your third Well, you've put a very impassioned speech
(27:58):
out there, a monologue on why, like what defenses do
and why Dk Metcalf does things to defenses that maybe
the numbers do not suggest, because the general fan, me
being one of them, likes to look at, okay, how
many targets did you have, how many catches did you have?
How many yards? How many touchdowns? And DK's numbers don't
(28:18):
even come close to the numbers of the upper upper
upper echelon wide receivers in football. You were giving a
reasoning as to why that is. I would simply say,
and then I'm gonna let you go. I'm I would
simply say, I think the divorce analogy analogy used was
a very good one. I can understand why DK Metcalf
(28:38):
wanted out There's been a lot of people that have
said over the years that DK Metcalf was not appropriately
used here in Seattle for whatever reason, incompetence by the
offensive coordinator, in competence by Pete Carroll, and competence by
Mike McDonald, whatever. But I can also understand why we
didn't want to pay him. And I agree with Greg
Bell when he sat here next to me and he said, Hey,
(28:59):
if the Seahawks hadn't gotten a second round draft pick
for DK Metcalf, they would have played him this year
and they would have not paid him, and they would
have simply let him go for a third round compensatory pick.
And I have no problem with that, because I think
the wide receiver market in general has gotten out of control.
It is a stock I do not want to buy.
It is a stock that has gone through the roof
(29:22):
and it has past the time that you want to
buy that stock. And so that's my take on the
receiver position in general. And I'm not even going to necessarily.
You know, DK is an excellent athlete and a very
good wide receiver, and I am glad that he is
not going to be a Seahawk long term for maybe
the mainly the reason I just gave you that isn't
(29:44):
necessarily DK Metcalf related.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Go ahead, Uh, okay, And I think that the Seahawks
have mismanaged DK for a long time. I think I
think that was a wasted talent. And you know I
gave you the genosmith that number one in the NFL
facing cover six. I described what cover six is. For
my theory to have any meaning to somebody. You if
I list the quarterbacks right behind him, you'd say, okay, well,
(30:10):
if that theory holds, then those would be really good
receivers right behind him. So the guy right behind him
number two was Sam Darnold. They have justin Jefferson. Then
the guy I said next is Bo Nicks. And we
talked about the difference in Courtland Sutland at one hundred
and thirty five targets versus Devon Valet. The next guy
is Kyler Murray with Marvin Harrison. The next guy is
Baker Mayfield with Mike Evans, and the next guy is
(30:32):
Joe Burrow with Jamar Chase. So it actually fits the hypothesis. Okay,
point number two, Then you say, well, do you move
DK Metcalf around out of thirty five wide receivers last
year who had one hundred or more targets. Yet DK
metcalf in terms of his slot percentage was eleven point
(30:53):
five percent. That was dead last. Why do you think
that is significantly I'll get to that, Okay, significantly more
than a second place, which was sixteen point six percent.
And you know, in two big receivers, I mean Mike Evans,
you know he's at thirty four percent, more than triple
the level. And by the way, yards per route run,
(31:14):
DK at two point thirty nine was ranked twelve. When
he's actually in the slot yards per route run he
was productive. In fact, he was twelfth in the NFL
JSN was twentieth.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Then why do we go through three offensive coordinators and
none of them want to do what you're suggesting that
they're doing. That wasn't three, Well it was before DK
was here, before Waldron, Right, so we have Shotty Waldron
and and Ryan Grubb in the DK career.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Well, Gino's Geno's or excuse me, DK's first year was nineteen.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
He was a rookie.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
Well, first of all, I want to say DK was
DK was only the third receiver in history to have
nine or more yards and five touchdowns in all five
of his first year and the other two guys are
named aj Green and Randy Moss. Okay, so it wasn't
like he was a bust. And by the way, last year,
(32:14):
until he got hurt, he was on a path to
be third in the NFL in yards.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
So like this whole idea that DK didn't produce, but
he should have been in the slot more. Okay, So
it was it was a misuse there. And then when
you say, okay, the catchable let's go back to last
year there the catchable percentage. This is actually a stat
in the portal. DK had fifty eight point zero percent
(32:42):
of his targets were catchable. Out of eighty qualifying receivers
that rank seventy six, fifty eight percent of the targets
are catchable. That's pathetic. Okay. So here, what what you're
you're having a picture is of the defense is rolling
the on DK. They're not moving him inside like other
(33:04):
receivers are being moved in the The catchable ball rate
is pathetic, near the very bottom of the NFL. And
the and the last point I'll make is this, and
you you saw some of those mondays, You know, I
get it four in morning. I watch the tape. The
TV copy does me no good. I have to see
the coaches tape, end zone copy and the all twenty
two and how many times, like sometimes I would just
(33:26):
I would just pop off to you and uh and
Softy or to Chuck and Buck, you know, like these
still pictures of DK wide the freak open coming out
of the break and having played behind three Hall of
Fame quarterbacks and three additional Pro Bowl quarterbacks. For call
me a scrub, I don't care, call me a hack.
(33:48):
I had to have learned something sitting in those meetings,
and and and I'm looking at a quarterback who was
twenty seven and twenty three over his last three years
he was if you count as in that, that's exactly what,
by the way, And and then if you count his
entire time with Seattle, you're talking about twenty eight and
(34:08):
twenty five. And you know, you go back to you're
talking about a career five hundred quarterback who doesn't throw
with anticipation. Geno Smith has better physical traits throwing the football.
I will stand on a freaking mountaintop and blow the
trumpet for that man, as a As a passer of
a football, he is gorgeous. The ball comes out, it's
(34:31):
got velocity, it's quick, it's it's it's it's repeatable. He
was born to throw a football, but he is not
born to anticipate when to throw the ball. And there
are too many to I could have a picture book
of still shots of DK coming out of his break.
Your chance, like, if you throw it late, DK's going
(34:51):
to be in at the hassmark, by the hook defender,
the linebacker. You know you don't have a completion. Your
only chance is to have a reasonable anticipatory throw. And
Dk is why the f open over and over and
over and over again, and Gino cannot process fast enough
to get him the ball.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
It is going to be fascinating to see, and I
hope for DK's sake. Honestly, I hope for DK's sake
and for Hugh's sake. Partially I want to see Dk
Metcalf get a top ten quarterback and an offensive head
coach at some point in his career. Yeah, because he
has not had a top ten quarterback since probably his
(35:28):
first year, and he has not had an offensive head
coach ever, and he doesn't have an offensive coach now,
So it'll be interesting to see what happens with DK.
That's gonna be fascinating what happens with DK for the
rest of his career. We gave me what water on
the bridge real quick. We got to run to a break,
but real quick.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
If I was to have a live YouTube, deal with
with the coach's tape and drawing and and and lay
out about I don't know twenty five thirty five plays,
you know, maybe a half hour forty minutes, and do
a live YouTube and to show you what I'm talking about, right,
just say like this is where the completion should be.
(36:07):
If I was to do a live YouTube that and
you know, call it six o'clock on a Wednesday night whatever,
pick a night, a non Marin night or whatever. Yeah,
text in if that's something you'd be interested in watching,
so that I can be your eyes.
Speaker 1 (36:22):
What I'm talking about. There we go.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Text is that something that you know I don't know
might take twenty five minutes, it might take forty five minutes.
I don't know, but it'd certainly be under an hour.
And we could go through this and then I talk
about the coverages and say this is what the quarterbacks read,
and we'd watch the tape that the actual players see
the All twenty two and the end Zone copy, and
you can see from both of those. And because I
(36:44):
feel like there's people out here who are talking about
DK and I feel like some I don't want to
say they don't know what you're talking about, because that's
an arrogant thing to say. But I wish they knew more, gotcha,
I wish they knew more. I think that's I'd love
to I'd love to sit and watch that for twenty
five thirty minutes. We're gonna take a quick time out.
John Willen or talking Call It Football. Coming up next
on ninety three point three kjr F
We got a little Wia we're going to talk about
a little bit later on today. Hugh with Monte Coler
at six o'clock today, the famed O Day football coach
who has tied Sid Auten for the all time record
in the state of Washington for high school wins. He
needs one more victory, which will assuredly come this September,
maybe even August. I don't even know what the schedule
is off to find out from him with their first
(00:20):
game is. But that'll be fun to talk to Mani
about forty years of high school football that he has
accomplished there in the middle of Seattle. John Wilner will
joins the four o'clock today. Brian Schmitzer at five point
forty five. But you know, let's just start with the
topic of the day. In everybody's favorite sport, or most
people's favorite sport in this country at least, and that's football.
(00:41):
The owners have decided unanimously that they are going to
allow NFL players to participate in the twenty twenty eight
Summer Olympics in flag football. I want to read to you.
I pulled up here. Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson was
in the room today, he says, quote, to be honest,
(01:03):
I'm at a loss for words to think about the
chance of playing in the Olympics and getting a gold medal.
It is a dream. And I guess you know here
we always just kind of disassociate the sport of football
with the Olympic Games for obvious reasons. Now maybe the
next generation won't disassociate NFL players. And if you grew
(01:23):
up as a football player like you did, you had
no chance, Like there's there was not an Olympic football
for Hugh Millon to play or anybody else to play,
which you had if you just happened to grow up
as a as a basketball player, for example, or if
you happen to grow up as a as a gymnast
for example. So what's your take on this sport that
has never been associated with the Olympic Games now will be.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Well, I think it's wonderful to grow the game. I
think the more people who are exposed to it. If
you if you watch the flag, it may compel you
to watch it to be more interested in the NFL,
the tackle game.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
I think it's a great decision.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
I think that the certainly there is a risk of injury,
and they had a running back for the Patriots. Man
google this Robert Edwards. Robert Edwards. Yeah, he blew out
his knee. I I understand there could be a career
ending injury.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
He I was on sand though. That was that was
sand beach, beach flag football. They're playing at the the
lead was at the Pro Bowl, right, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
And I'd like, look, I've coached you know, all the kids.
You know, We've we've talked about I've coached kids flag
football five on five when they were younger, seven on
seven when they were older, and and so I'm curious
the rules. Some some situations don't allow for a pass rush,
but the ball has to be out in three seconds.
(02:46):
Some some situations do call for a pass rush. So
the where I'm going on that is is when you
have a high school seven on seven tournament and there's
there's no pass rush, there's literally, I would say, almost
zero chance for a quarterback to get hurt because the
only way you'd get hurt.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
You know, you're just throwing routes on air. Nobody you're
not moving, and I can't take off, right the quarterbacks
can tell those situations cannot take off.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Yeah, you just the ball has to be out in
three seconds and or two and a half.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
I would imagine there, at least the ones that I've
seen in the past, I think there will be a
pass rusher. It'll be more like what you and I
used to coach, right where you could either blitz or
not blitz, but you could you'd have to send a
Russer rusher from a certain point because that like seven
or eight yards, yeah, like seven or eight yards, and
that way quarterbacks would be able to run once once
in the.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Past I coached that, and then and then that was
younger age, and then I and then as I said,
I graduated, Uh, you know, at some point there was
no pass rush and I was just Okay, the ball's
got to be out in two and a half seconds.
So so but that if there is a pass rush,
then you're there's gonna be a primacy on an athletic quarterback,
(03:54):
and of course that there's a risk that you're gonna
you know, pop an achilles heel or or any of
the other on contact injuries that we usually see. In fact,
the NFL most serious leg injuries are non contact, you know,
whether it's you know, acls or achilles or what have you.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
But but I think it's worth the risk.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
I think the Olympics as an institution, it's one of
the better things that we have in humanity. I perhaps
was influenced my age, and you know, I'll bring it
up on the radio unless I think it's it's very
centrally relevant to the conversation. And in this case, I
think it is because my first Olympics that I remember
(04:34):
vividly was nineteen seventy two. And during that time, you know,
this is almost the height of the Cold War. You
had the Eastern Bloc countries, the Soviet Union, East Germany,
you know, Romanian, Czechosovakian. Although you never saw those people,
there's no social media, you never knew what how those
(04:54):
people lived. You never saw them other than the Olympics.
It was as if they were from another planet. They
would just show up every four years, and then we
compete him against them in the games, and and all
of the you know called NATO countries, the Western countries,
call them what you want.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
This was a the movie.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Miracle kind of captures it. But I think unless you
lived it and the real threat, unless you went and
lived through nuclear bomb sirens at your elementary or middle school,
and what you do if there's a nuclear bomb, like
there's a real threat. And and the tension internationally geopolitically,
(05:33):
you know, it was just so thick and so ominous
and and in a in a way frightful as to
what could happen. And so when you have the Olympics
where you say, hey, let's get together and let's just
break bread, and I use that in a figurative term,
break bread over athletic competition. Maybe that can that can
(05:56):
you bring the world a little closer together? Like I
leave in the Olympics in that regard because I've seen
an are now in later years, the Olympics have an appeal,
but it's there's not the nationalism that there was, And
so hey, maybe this can ward off future tensions. And
(06:17):
so I'm I'm all in on the Olympics. And and
and to the extent remember what is oh should I
should have looked this up alto uh sidious forta?
Speaker 1 (06:28):
I think is higher? Was a higher, faster, strong? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Yeah, And and and so that that's the motto of
the Olympics. And so to me, when I see a
guy standing on the podium and his national anthem is
is playing when he Benzo Ben's bows to get the
gold medal put around his neck, I want to know
that he is Altius, sidious fortius.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
He's the he's the the.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Highest jumper or the fastest runner, or the strongest do
on planet Earth forgetting political systems and what have you.
So so there was a time, of course where I
had to aggravatingly watch the amateur basketball players. I remember
watching that seventy two game live where the United States
lost to the Soviet Union in basketball, and I mean
(07:17):
it just transcended sports, that's all I can tell you.
It transcended sports. It was like a statement is like
we had a space race, who's the first person in space?
Who what country's gonna be the first person? Saying what's
going to be the first country on the moon, Like
this is a real thing that transcends sports. When we
lost to the Soviets, man, that was a devastation that's
almost indescribable for young people. And so to me, yes,
(07:43):
put our best players in there, and I'm glad that
the owners are willing to take that risk, grow the
game and put the United States best foot forward. Hey,
if we selac the world early on fine. You know,
maybe twenty years from now they'll catch up in the games,
will be a little bit more competitive. Hopefully in my lifetime.
I ever see the United States losing football in the Olympics,
but I'm glad I get to see it.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Well, that's my concern is just like who are they
going to play? But but you're right, I mean, maybe
they just you know, spend the first four or five
Olympics winning every single game seventy to nothing, and that's
you know, maybe that will grow the game throughout the
throughout the world in flag football, because it doesn't really
seem like the NFL game has really grown worldwide. I
think the interest in the NFL game has grown worldwide,
(08:24):
but we're not seeing, you know, American football take root
like we saw under David Stern in the NBA. I
mean the NBA took root it thirty years ago around
the globe and now look what's happened. You could make
an argument that the five best players on planet Earth
(08:45):
there are zero Americans in the in the NBA. So
that that is and maybe we'll see that thirty forty
fifty years from now in football. But I got four
names for you here. You're talking about faster, higher, stronger.
This is what I don't want to see in football.
I'm gonna give you four names. I don't expect you
to know what these names mean. Kareem Maddocks, Canyon Barry,
(09:07):
Jimmer for Debt, and Dylan Travis. Do you know what
those four people are associated with? Well, I don't know
all of them. I you probably recognized Jim or for
dinner for that, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
I mean you know he's a great, great shooter for
BYU that kind of flamed out he played internationally.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
I don't know. I didn't expect you to know the
group that is the twenty twenty four US men's three
on three basket There is nothing about faster, higher, stronger,
about Jimmer for Debt, Dylan Travis, Kareem Maddocks, and Canyon Barry.
That was a joke for now women, How did we do?
(09:50):
How did we do? I don't think they even I
don't think. I'm not even sure if they qualified for
the Olympics, yeah after oh no, they missed out in
the Tokyo Games, but they will have a three on three.
I don't even know how how they did. I know
the women's team was better the women's team had WNBA
players at least, I mean, the men's team had NBA players.
The women's team at least had WNBA players, But it
(10:10):
certainly wasn't like the top four WNBA players you could find.
It was like good WNBA players, and that was good enough.
But that's what I don't want to see. I don't
want to see the third string wide receiver on the
Falcons and the fourth string wide receiver on the Titans
as my two starting wide receivers, and the third quarterback
(10:32):
on the Colts as the trigger man in the Olympics.
I don't want to see that. I want to see
Joe Burrow and Justin Jefferson. Yeah, or whatever twenty twenty
eighth version of Joe Burrow and Justin Jefferson is on
the Olympics.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Well, if you have a pass rush, you're more likely
to see an athletic guy. Although I designed a whole
offense in seven on seven where every ball, every single
ball on every play will get out before the pass
rush gets there from eight yards and and I think
in the entire season there was maybe two times where
(11:04):
that didn't come two past ten where that didn't come true.
So it's possible that that schematically, they'll just say, hey,
we'll put you know, Josh Allen, or let's say Pat
Mahomes Pat Mahomes back there. And even though he can scramble,
he doesn't scramble as well as Lamar Jackson. But if
he throws better, we'll just we'll design an offense where
(11:26):
he'll play with you know, great anticipation and the ball
will be out every time before the passwords.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
That is possible.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Another element of this is do you go both ways?
And one of the things about if you do seven,
if this resembles seven on seven like what NFL teams have.
For those who don't know, I apologize for those who do,
and you roll in your eyes and go, duh.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Yeah, we know.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
But if you went to an NFL practice, there's a
period where for about twenty minutes, it could be more
a little more, you know, at least eighteen minutes you
go seven on seven. And what seven on seven is
is it's it's regular passing. It's all both teams on
both sides, minus the offensive line and minus the defensive line.
(12:14):
So you're going the offense has the quarterback and then
five targets be there be them five receivers or be
them four receivers in one tight end and three receivers
in one tight end and one run running back. Usually
that's what it is because the eleven personnel league what
I just just describe, and then you and then the
defense is the linebackers in the secondary and then they
(12:34):
drop into their normal zones or they play their man
and man just like their normal calls on Sunday tackle.
You're essentially practicing without linemen. And that's what seven on
seven is. So if you have the Olympics and they are,
they're they're essentially just seven on seven. Now you've got
NFL players, is like, I've been doing this all my life,
(12:55):
and I've been doing this all last season because that's
what we do three days a week Wednesday, Thursday, Ry
we do seven on seven. And but if you have
to go both ways, that'll be interesting. So so now
do wide receivers have to play defense or do you
or do you have defenders? And then defenders of course
they're not tackling. Now it's how good of a flag
polar are you? Because and that's a different Now there's
(13:17):
some similarities. You gotta you gotta come, you gotta break down.
You gotta drop your hips, widen your base, and then
you've got a reachs with both hands. Uh and and
usually you kind of grab both hips and you just
grab and hope one of them grabs a flag. But
that is a that is that will be a factor
for the NFL players. Is okay, who now has fast
(13:38):
enough hands to grab the flag?
Speaker 1 (13:42):
That's that's a huge part of it.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
And generally the shorter, quicker guys, like on defense, I'd
have my corners, man, I want my I want hiding
the safeties in the back end, and I want shorter
corners up up front and with uh, with faster hands
because because pulling those flags is obviously vital, it's it's
the equivalent of a tackle. And so this will be
really interesting to watch the the the both the the
(14:08):
the similarities and the differences of our beloved NFL game
and watching how it manifests in an Olympic format. I
can't wait.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Devin Witherspoon seems to be the perfect type corner for this, right.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Yeah, yeah, he covered he yehs changed, the direction is elite.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
He covers ground. You know, I think he's got great hands. Uh.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
You know, a lot of defenders. You know, but but
but that you don't really know, uh who has great
flag pulling skills until you get him out and see
if they can pull a flag? Yep, yeah, and so
and then you got the question is the is the
ball carrier permitted to do three sixties? You know in
some cases yes, some cases no. If the guy's doing
three sixties, now you got you know, that puts a
(14:53):
greater burden on your ability to pull a flag. So
so it's not just hey, can we complete passes or
defend passes once it's caught?
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Can we pull flags?
Speaker 2 (15:01):
And and and you know, some of our guys may
may have never played flag football because my experience, I
started coaching flag football when the kids were literally in
third grade, and then I had two kids to separated
by two years. When they when they graduate to a
certain age, I think around eighth grade now it might
have been seventh. Somewhere around seventh and eighth grade, certainly
(15:22):
before high school, you stop pulling flags and it's just
one hand touch. It's just seven on seven like you
have in normal eleven on eleven football practices. It's seven
on seven and and if a guy comes up and
one hand touch and then that's where the whistle blows
gotcha and so so my point, yeah, we're breaking. But
my point is a lot of these guys may have
(15:43):
never pulled a flag in their.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Life, or at least since they were in third grade.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
But if they didn't, if they didn't play round, if
they just played you know, tackle football, I mean, they
could have been playing tackle football and said I'm not
I'm playing track and baseball in the spring. I'm not
playing a flag football and so and then when they
got to high school, the only seven on seven they
did was not pulling a flag. It was just one
hand touch like I described.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
Well, to answer your question, the US men finished seven
out of seventh out of eight teams in the Olympics.
The US women finished with the bronze medal out of
eight teams. So neither did that extremely well. I would
think that would be different for flag football. Take a
quick time out and we come back. You know, yesterday
I talked in the one to three show about the
John Schneider take on the DK Metcalf situation. Why did
(16:30):
he end up in Pittsburgh, And we'll play that for
you and get Hughes take on a next on ninety
three point three KJRFM.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Broad casting live from the R and R Foundation Specialist
Broadcast Studio. Now back to SAFTI and Dig powered by
Emerald Queen Casino, the Betty and Capital of the Northwest
on Sports Radio in ninety three point three kJ R FAM.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
SOFTI and Deck with Jackson with Dick and Jackson, but
no SAFTI. I'm confused, but have no fear. Hugh Millen
is here. Oh, that's easier. He's like, oh jeez oh man, Well,
yesterday when I was we were kind of shuffled all
around yesterday. I did Ian show yesterday with him out
from one to three and uh I played a cut
(17:16):
Hugh from John Schneider and and to me it was interesting.
To me, it shed it shed some light on exactly
what the situation was between the Seahawks and DK Metcalf
and why indeed was he sent to Pittsburgh. How much
was this a choice of the Seahawks, how much of
this was a choice of DK. I was always under
(17:38):
the impression that it was just kind of a you know,
tip of a cap parting the ways, kind of mutual,
and that doesn't necessarily sound how it went.
Speaker 4 (17:49):
Heaking a very open conversations last couple of years and
about his future and and what that looked like and
what what he wanted, and you know, we always had
to do it's best for the organization first and foremost.
That's what that's what drives us, everybody, everybody that throughout
the national football leage that that does what we do.
(18:10):
And it was a parent that he wanted to he
wanted to move on, and uh so when we got
back to the combine, we had some some real uh
you know, clear direct conversations and at that point decided
it was probably best for both of us to move forward.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Was it a salary related thing, John, No, No, it
really wasn't.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
It wasn't.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
It was interesting because it wasn't like animosity either. It
was like, you know, somebody is really really uh you know,
we really really wanted a fresh start, and uh, you know,
it's not like you know, we went into the off
season thinking this would be a possibility, but he was
just uh, he was pretty he was pretty dug in
on it. So ended up working out for both clubs,
(18:52):
working out for us, working out for Pittsburgh, and we
wishing the best. He's a great guy and obviously a
high end competitor.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
I mean two sentences there speak really clearly. DK and
I have had very open conversations the last couple of
years about his future and what he wanted, and it
was a parent he wanted to move on. That was
the first kind of money sentence. The second money sentence
was he really really wanted a fresh start. It's not
like we went into the offseason thinking was a possibility,
but he was just pretty dug in on it. So,
(19:21):
you know, before we you know, kind of massage what
some of the other people are saying about this, Hugh,
let's get get your take on and does does anything
that you heard John Schneider say there surprise you at all?
Speaker 2 (19:33):
No, I'm not surprised. First of all, I kind of
feel like this is the top of the hour segment
because there's a lot of meat on this topic.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
I always come back to it, but here, but here
we are.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
So I would just say, I recognize that my take
is going to be in the minority because I just
having I'm not saying it's unique to Seattle, but I'm
a Seattle light. I know how our f and everybody's fans.
If a player says I don't want to be with
you anymore, then we're gonna say, well, f you, you know,
(20:08):
good riddance, see you later. I understand that's the prevailing thought,
but let me just give it a different perspective on this.
So we clearly have a divorce here. So what John
Schneider is describing is one to use the analogy. One
spouse is saying, I've had enough, this is irreparable. It's
(20:30):
just better for us to have a clean start. And
I think now I'm going to present a hypothetical as
an example only to get us to buy into a
philosophy or mindset. I really it's a pet peeve of
mind when people don't understand the analogous parts of an analogy.
I understand that there's differences, but if one spouse, let's
(20:56):
just use a very extreme example that we can all
shake our heads on. If one spouse was was repeatedly
cheating on and or abusing in different ways the the
other spouse, there could be a point where hey, the
the spouse who is will call the victim in this
could at some point say I don't want to be
(21:17):
in this relationship anymore. It's time to move on. And
it wouldn't be that spouse's fault, agreed, Can we can
at least philosophically agree on that, Okay?
Speaker 1 (21:27):
So then.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
For the burden would be on me two to give
you convincing reasons why DK Metcalf went from a eager
Seattle Seahawk to now he wants a divorce, Okay, because
because all John Schneider was doing was describing the very
last page of the last chapter of the book. Agreed
(21:50):
like that's how okay. So what what I would say
is that there is a series of of things that
have had happened from from Metcalf's perspective that where he's like, okay,
I'm out and and and let's let's you know, let's
let's start, uh, or I don't want to ignore the
(22:12):
obvious may have been you know, usually the answered all
your questions is money. And it may have been very
clear to DK Metcalf that the Seahawks were not going
to pay him what he thought he could get out
away from the Seahawks right And in fact, when he
signed with Pittsburgh, the Steelers immediately made him the third
(22:33):
highest wide receiver in the NFL. So he it may
be is just as simple as like, yeah, DK. The
the the conversation that that John Schneider is describing is
the culmination of DK and his agent realizing we're never
gonna get.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
From the Seahawks what we think we can get elsewhere.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
And and and maybe they had pretty concrete UH understanding
of what the what the Steelers and or other teams
there's you know, the charges were in the mix whatever,
But let's just say it's just the Steelers. So maybe
maybe it's just as simple as money. But I think
there's some other facets to consider with with DK Metcalf.
(23:18):
For example, DK Metcalf, I will give you a undeniable fact.
DK Metcalf had was on the end of more UH
Cover six h than any other receiver in football.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
And Geno Smith.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
When you when you I'm looking right here at the
NFL Stats portal, when you calculate Geno Smith and the
attempts that he had against Cover six, that's a roll coverage.
It's double coverage on one side and free access to
the others. For for example, let me just explain, I'm
gonna I'll give you a touchdown that happen with the
(24:01):
Cardinals where where we're down at Arizona, the UH we're
in the red zone. DK mechiff is a split in
the Cardinals. They rotate over the top safety over DK corner,
jamming DK. And the way the the the coverage is
is now they run a coal flat combination to suck.
(24:23):
Tyler Lockett is out on the edge, the closest receiver
to the right away from DK. He runs a hook
the the the corner nails down on the hook and
that leaves JSN one on one with the safety on
that side, not Buddha Baker the other safety, and so
JSN he comes out, he's got free access. He comes up,
he nods to the middle, breaks the corner wide opens.
(24:45):
You know, Smith hits him touchdown. Beautiful. Okay, that play
doesn't happen if you're not. It's a cover six beater.
That's exactly how they ran that. It was a red
zone play. That's exactly how they drew it up. It's
exactly how they executed it. In the Friday set an
on seven and that is a DK Metcalf sucking up
the double coverage to the other side where Chris Collins
(25:05):
were said, DK Metcalf, his gravitation is like a planet. Okay,
and so so so Cover six. Is that you know
Tyler Lockett had two touchdowns against the Lions. Well, you
look at at at the defense, they got two guys
bracketing uh DK and everybody else. All the other four
(25:28):
eligible receivers are one on one and d and DK's
got the double coverage. Like NFL teams are telling you
who they think is the most feared receiver. So Gino Smith,
if you he was fourth in the NFL in attempts
for the against Cover six for the entire season. But
if you take if you filter the two weeks that
(25:48):
d K wasn't on the field because he was hurt,
So you take out weeks eight and nine, Now Geno
Smith is number one. So and that's that's not just
for for Gino, that's all quarterbacks. Now for that theory
to hold, you'd say, well, tell me some of the
the Well, second place was Sam Darnold. Oh who might
(26:09):
they be rolling on? Then justin Jefferson. Third place was
Bo Nicks. Okay, they don't have a start, but Courtland
Suttland had one hundred and thirty five targets. The next
closest guy nobody else, Javon Valet at fifty eighty Okay.
Then Kyler Murray, Oh, okay, they've got Marvin Harrison, Baker
(26:31):
Mayfield is the next guy, Mike Evans, Okay, so Joe
Burrow is the next guy.
Speaker 1 (26:37):
So that you're saying, the defense of Mr. Chase defense
telling you who the elite receivers are, is what you're saying.
What's that the defense is telling you who the elite
receivers are? Okay, Okay, Well tell here's what we're gonna do.
Here's what we're gonna do. Here we're gonna do. We're
gonna move fun with audio. We'll continue this conversation, so
we'll have ample time. Right after the break, we'll move
(26:57):
on with audio. Four thirty and got John Wilnert for
coming back next on ninety three point three KJR FM broad.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
Casting live from the R and R Foundation Specialist broad
JAST Studio. Now back to Softie and Dick powered by
Emerald Queen Casino, the Betty and Capital of the Northwest,
on Sports.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
Radio ninety three point three k j R.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Half.
Speaker 4 (27:16):
We had some clear direct conversations and at that point
decided it was probably best for both of us to
move forward.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Was it a salary related thing?
Speaker 4 (27:26):
No, No, it really wasn't.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
It wasn't.
Speaker 4 (27:28):
It was interesting because it wasn't like animosity either. It
was like and we really really wanted a fresh start.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
That's John Schneider's take on things. I'm going we heard
Hughes impassioned. I'm not done. I know, I know, we
heard the part you We we paused you at halftime.
Here you you you put a put a very very
yes your third Well, you've put a very impassioned speech
(27:58):
out there, a monologue on why, like what defenses do
and why Dk Metcalf does things to defenses that maybe
the numbers do not suggest, because the general fan, me
being one of them, likes to look at, okay, how
many targets did you have, how many catches did you have?
How many yards? How many touchdowns? And DK's numbers don't
(28:18):
even come close to the numbers of the upper upper
upper echelon wide receivers in football. You were giving a
reasoning as to why that is. I would simply say,
and then I'm gonna let you go. I'm I would
simply say, I think the divorce analogy analogy used was
a very good one. I can understand why DK Metcalf
(28:38):
wanted out There's been a lot of people that have
said over the years that DK Metcalf was not appropriately
used here in Seattle for whatever reason, incompetence by the
offensive coordinator, in competence by Pete Carroll, and competence by
Mike McDonald, whatever. But I can also understand why we
didn't want to pay him. And I agree with Greg
Bell when he sat here next to me and he said, Hey,
(28:59):
if the Seahawks hadn't gotten a second round draft pick
for DK Metcalf, they would have played him this year
and they would have not paid him, and they would
have simply let him go for a third round compensatory pick.
And I have no problem with that, because I think
the wide receiver market in general has gotten out of control.
It is a stock I do not want to buy.
It is a stock that has gone through the roof
(29:22):
and it has past the time that you want to
buy that stock. And so that's my take on the
receiver position in general. And I'm not even going to necessarily.
You know, DK is an excellent athlete and a very
good wide receiver, and I am glad that he is
not going to be a Seahawk long term for maybe
the mainly the reason I just gave you that isn't
(29:44):
necessarily DK Metcalf related.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Go ahead, Uh, okay, And I think that the Seahawks
have mismanaged DK for a long time. I think I
think that was a wasted talent. And you know I
gave you the genosmith that number one in the NFL
facing cover six. I described what cover six is. For
my theory to have any meaning to somebody. You if
I list the quarterbacks right behind him, you'd say, okay, well,
(30:10):
if that theory holds, then those would be really good
receivers right behind him. So the guy right behind him
number two was Sam Darnold. They have justin Jefferson. Then
the guy I said next is Bo Nicks. And we
talked about the difference in Courtland Sutland at one hundred
and thirty five targets versus Devon Valet. The next guy
is Kyler Murray with Marvin Harrison. The next guy is
Baker Mayfield with Mike Evans, and the next guy is
(30:32):
Joe Burrow with Jamar Chase. So it actually fits the hypothesis. Okay,
point number two, Then you say, well, do you move
DK Metcalf around out of thirty five wide receivers last
year who had one hundred or more targets. Yet DK
metcalf in terms of his slot percentage was eleven point
(30:53):
five percent. That was dead last. Why do you think
that is significantly I'll get to that, Okay, significantly more
than a second place, which was sixteen point six percent.
And you know, in two big receivers, I mean Mike Evans,
you know he's at thirty four percent, more than triple
the level. And by the way, yards per route run,
(31:14):
DK at two point thirty nine was ranked twelve. When
he's actually in the slot yards per route run he
was productive. In fact, he was twelfth in the NFL
JSN was twentieth.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Then why do we go through three offensive coordinators and
none of them want to do what you're suggesting that
they're doing. That wasn't three, Well it was before DK
was here, before Waldron, Right, so we have Shotty Waldron
and and Ryan Grubb in the DK career.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Well, Gino's Geno's or excuse me, DK's first year was nineteen.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
He was a rookie.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
Well, first of all, I want to say DK was
DK was only the third receiver in history to have
nine or more yards and five touchdowns in all five
of his first year and the other two guys are
named aj Green and Randy Moss. Okay, so it wasn't
like he was a bust. And by the way, last year,
(32:14):
until he got hurt, he was on a path to
be third in the NFL in yards.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
So like this whole idea that DK didn't produce, but
he should have been in the slot more. Okay, So
it was it was a misuse there. And then when
you say, okay, the catchable let's go back to last
year there the catchable percentage. This is actually a stat
in the portal. DK had fifty eight point zero percent
(32:42):
of his targets were catchable. Out of eighty qualifying receivers
that rank seventy six, fifty eight percent of the targets
are catchable. That's pathetic. Okay. So here, what what you're
you're having a picture is of the defense is rolling
the on DK. They're not moving him inside like other
(33:04):
receivers are being moved in the The catchable ball rate
is pathetic, near the very bottom of the NFL. And
the and the last point I'll make is this, and
you you saw some of those mondays, You know, I
get it four in morning. I watch the tape. The
TV copy does me no good. I have to see
the coaches tape, end zone copy and the all twenty
two and how many times, like sometimes I would just
(33:26):
I would just pop off to you and uh and
Softy or to Chuck and Buck, you know, like these
still pictures of DK wide the freak open coming out
of the break and having played behind three Hall of
Fame quarterbacks and three additional Pro Bowl quarterbacks. For call
me a scrub, I don't care, call me a hack.
(33:48):
I had to have learned something sitting in those meetings,
and and and I'm looking at a quarterback who was
twenty seven and twenty three over his last three years
he was if you count as in that, that's exactly what,
by the way, And and then if you count his
entire time with Seattle, you're talking about twenty eight and
(34:08):
twenty five. And you know, you go back to you're
talking about a career five hundred quarterback who doesn't throw
with anticipation. Geno Smith has better physical traits throwing the football.
I will stand on a freaking mountaintop and blow the
trumpet for that man, as a As a passer of
a football, he is gorgeous. The ball comes out, it's
(34:31):
got velocity, it's quick, it's it's it's it's repeatable. He
was born to throw a football, but he is not
born to anticipate when to throw the ball. And there
are too many to I could have a picture book
of still shots of DK coming out of his break.
Your chance, like, if you throw it late, DK's going
(34:51):
to be in at the hassmark, by the hook defender,
the linebacker. You know you don't have a completion. Your
only chance is to have a reasonable anticipatory throw. And
Dk is why the f open over and over and
over and over again, and Gino cannot process fast enough
to get him the ball.
Speaker 1 (35:07):
It is going to be fascinating to see, and I
hope for DK's sake. Honestly, I hope for DK's sake
and for Hugh's sake. Partially I want to see Dk
Metcalf get a top ten quarterback and an offensive head
coach at some point in his career. Yeah, because he
has not had a top ten quarterback since probably his
(35:28):
first year, and he has not had an offensive head
coach ever, and he doesn't have an offensive coach now,
So it'll be interesting to see what happens with DK.
That's gonna be fascinating what happens with DK for the
rest of his career. We gave me what water on
the bridge real quick. We got to run to a break,
but real quick.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
If I was to have a live YouTube, deal with
with the coach's tape and drawing and and and lay
out about I don't know twenty five thirty five plays,
you know, maybe a half hour forty minutes, and do
a live YouTube and to show you what I'm talking about, right,
just say like this is where the completion should be.
(36:07):
If I was to do a live YouTube that and
you know, call it six o'clock on a Wednesday night whatever,
pick a night, a non Marin night or whatever. Yeah,
text in if that's something you'd be interested in watching,
so that I can be your eyes.
Speaker 1 (36:22):
What I'm talking about. There we go.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Text is that something that you know I don't know
might take twenty five minutes, it might take forty five minutes.
I don't know, but it'd certainly be under an hour.
And we could go through this and then I talk
about the coverages and say this is what the quarterbacks read,
and we'd watch the tape that the actual players see
the All twenty two and the end Zone copy, and
you can see from both of those. And because I
(36:44):
feel like there's people out here who are talking about
DK and I feel like some I don't want to
say they don't know what you're talking about, because that's
an arrogant thing to say. But I wish they knew more, gotcha,
I wish they knew more. I think that's I'd love
to I'd love to sit and watch that for twenty
five thirty minutes. We're gonna take a quick time out.
John Willen or talking Call It Football. Coming up next
on ninety three point three kjr F
Dave 'Softy' Mahler and Dick Fain News
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