May 12, 2025 • 19 mins
Hugh Millen joins Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain to talk about NFL teams in their post draft camps, Shedeur Sanders being with the Browns, how the Seahawks will use Jalen Milroe given how he played at Alabama and Seattle’s scheme, plus Kenneth Walker III.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Joining us right now on the radio show A little
More at four with our friend Hugh Millan. Always feel
like he's on a ton but there's some stuff that
you know, we just need more out of him, you know,
we need to get the stuff that we want. There's
more juice. So we pay him a lot of money.
We got to get him on as much as possible.
I wasn't aware we were paying him. I thought this
was all just kind of like out of the goodness
of his heart. Well, Hugh Millan, who apparently is making
(00:20):
a ton of money off of us, is joining us
on the radio show How are you, buddy?
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Fiction and fiction, but of course a lot is a
relative term. But great to be with you, guys. How's
your Monday?
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Ah?
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Good, Thanks for asking. I can feel the sincerity coming
out of your voice. By the way, let's start with
what's going on Wednesday night?
Speaker 3 (00:41):
The schedule. There's leaks coming out.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Some of them aren't even leaks, they're actual announcements by
the NFL Eagles Dallas in the opener September fourth. Fox
has that doubleheader in December Philadelphia, Washington, Green Bay, Chicago.
We know the opponents, we don't know the times or
dates or prime time games. So what are you going
to be keeping an eye on Wednesday around five clock?
Speaker 4 (01:00):
He yeah, well, and of course, as you said, we
know the opponents.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
But I think it's interesting a lot of discussion about
Thursday night football and the fact you know the short rest.
But if you think about this, guys, both teams. If
the Seahawks pick a team they play the Rams. If
both the Seahawks and Rams play on Sunday and then
they play on Thursday, they're both that at a similar disadvantage.
(01:26):
Of course, the road team would be at a little
bit more of a disadvantage, but they have to fight
through that. But then they get a rest on the backside,
and so it's the next game where you get the
kind of mini buy the actual advantage. And over the
last four years twenty one through twenty four seasons, teams
with nine days rest that's playing on Thursday and their
(01:49):
opponent is on six days rest, so their opponent played
on Sunday.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Got it.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Those teams over the last four years are fifty one,
forty three and one win percent. That is not insignificant.
So I think the Thursday night games, if the players
can just say, look it sucks to play on Thursday,
no doubt, but it sucks for them too, But we
get the benefit on the back.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
We get a little.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Most coaches give a little a day or two off
on the weekend and then you get that advantage the
next Sunday. So I'll be looking at that in addition
to some of the changes we see at the coaching
positions and quarterbacks.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Good point here because it's huge.
Speaker 5 (02:29):
But I remember Warren Sharp last year, right after the schedule,
he did a big database of which team had the
net positive rest and the net negative rest versus their
opponent each and every game, and he said, by far
the net negative team was the San Francisco forty nine ers,
and that was the reason. I think he had them
going like eight to nine or nine and eight, and
(02:51):
they went six and eleven. So it does mean something.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Well, you can't isolate the variables. Sure, of course that's
a correlation to consider, but I wasn't aware. Now he's
a sharp dude, pun intended, and so if he's finding
that much correlation, it's worth noting because I think he's
he's really uh comprehensive. But the other part, and and
and I know I'm not the first to say it.
But just let's just review some of the teams. Certainly,
(03:17):
you go back to a year ago the Sea IKX
start with the Broncos. Broncos started zher and two. Uh,
then they won five of their next six with rookie
bow nicks and they finished ten and seven. Of course
that the JV game against the Chiefs at the end,
but nonetheless so so I think, just considering here, here's
some thoughts on potential rookie quarterbacks. The Saints Tyler Schuck,
(03:42):
can he beat out the likes of Spencer Ratler?
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Maybe? Probably?
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Certainly the Titans, cam Ward is gonna be uh, he'll
be your starter. Two guys in in second year with
an asterisk, JJ McCarthy with the Vikings, playing the Vikings,
I'd like to play them early.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Now McCarthy got more out of it being injured than
he would have if he was a straight rookie. But
there's there's there's certainly some rookie ISSU components there with McCarthy,
the Falcons with Pennix. Here's new coaches Jaggs, Liam Cohen.
Uh So a new system there. You'd maybe like to
play them early. The Saints I'd really like to play
the Saints early, although maybe they're going to be so
(04:24):
bad it doesn't matter. But but the Saints have uh
if they have Tyler Shuck as a new quarterback. They
also have a new head coach and Kellen Moore. So
there's a lot of newness there.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
Uh. And then finally two.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
More uh maybe lesser but offensive coordinators new Tampa, Bay
and Houston have the same quarterback, but new offensive coordinators.
And Indy and Atlanta have the same head coaches but
new defensive coordinators. So I'm just kind of looking for uh,
newness or or or our potential turmoil because of not
(04:56):
settling into the system, and and and those are some
teams to look at. You you'd probably like to play
some of those teams early.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
I'm just looking at the home schedule obviously San Francisco, Rams, Arizona,
and then Colt Saints, Tampa, Texas, Texans, and Minnesota. It's
pretty good. If I would have told you four years
ago that Baker Mayfield would be the best quarterback you'd
see at home all your life, right, would you have
bought that?
Speaker 4 (05:19):
You?
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yeah, I wouldn't have. I wouldn't have. It's a hell
of a story. And and you know for those you know,
the whole league has been struggling for decades, really generations
to figure out who can play quarterback.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
Well, just think about this.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
I'm going to say a really simple sentence, and it
represents this is the number one most important and most
vexing question in all of American sports. Okay, that's subjective,
but I'm gonna argue, and the question goes like this,
which of these great college quarterbacks will make good to
great pro quarterbacks?
Speaker 4 (05:56):
Like think, how easy to say say that?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
You know the English request maybe first grade English? And
yet that question billions are at state at that question.
And and here Baker Mayfield number one overall. Then it
looks like he's you know, he was gonna be a bust.
And then a few teams later, you know he's on
his four team now and he's getting one hundred million
(06:18):
dollar contract.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
I mean, go figure right.
Speaker 5 (06:22):
Well, and to that point, Hugh, if you would have
watched ESPN all weekend from Brown's camp, you would have
thought not only was Shador Sanders the only quarterback drafted
by the Cleveland Browns, you would have thought Shador Sanders
was the first round pick of the Cleveland Browns.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
Because that's all we saw.
Speaker 5 (06:39):
We all wait, wasn't the Oregon quarterback also drafted by
by I mean, that was just bizarre.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
The coverage that that he got.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Well, it's just you know, as he said, the cameras
follow him everywhere. It was the story of the weekend
for the NFL relatively slow weekend. But you know, I
was a third round draft pick. Jalen Milroe is a
third round draft pick. Dylan Gabriel is a third round
draft pick. When you go into these situations, you kind
of expect, like, hey, I will say I'm the dude,
(07:08):
because that implies the wrong things. What you're really interested
in is the reps. And you know it's not your
you know, it's it's professional sports. You can have to compete,
but what you want is reps. And so you would normally,
you know, like in the case of Jalen Milroe with
Will Rogers, who was a tryout guy, you know, Jalen
Millroe is going to get the line's share, He's going
(07:28):
to be the dude and get all the reps with
the first team certainly, and and I think in Cleveland
Dylan Gabriel, look, nobody's going to play a violin for
Dylan Gabriel, but in a way he kind of got hosed.
And you know, you know, so here here Sanders, And look,
I'm not a Shaduur Sanders. Based on everything he's done,
I've talked about some of it. I could do a
(07:49):
whole segment on it. But I so I'm not rooting
for Shadeur Sanders, but I will tip my hat. Ever
since he got drafted, he he has said all the
right things and he appears to be since here he's
kind of just like, hey, I'm healthy, I've got a
great opportunity. There's a great sist. So some of the
petulance that I might have predicted, yeah, given the circumstances
(08:10):
and the draft and all this and going to Cleveland's
facing Cleveland ain't sexy, right, So so I think that
he's been a pro since that, literally the second he
got drafted. Again, I'm not rooting for him, but he
might change my mind. If he keeps this this attitude,
I may have a one to eighty on him.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Well.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Part of the problem with him, though, is how much
attention he gets isn't really up to him, right, I Mean,
if he's the third string quarterback and he's got more
people at his locker than the number one guy or
even backup does. I'm curious to see how that plays
out in Cleveland, and kind of I'm kind of rooting
for it to happen, to be honest with you guys,
just to see the chaos. But humillans with us. And
here let me circle back to quarterbacks. Here in Seattle.
(08:49):
I had a chance to bump into my pal Ryan
Fowler this morning. They were in town going to a
cruise up in Alaska, so I went and met him
and his family. We were yacking about Grubb going down there,
a mill Roe coming up here, and I asked him
how much Jalen Milroe was under center.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
With Alabama and he said hardly.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Ever, Well, Clint Kubiak like staff quarterbacks under center right
more often than maybe other OC's. So for both Milroe
and Sam Darnold with what he had in Minnesota, how
much of a complete one eighty is there gonna be
for both these cats? How much time they got their
hands under center?
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Yeah, I think it's a really important component of twenty
twenty five for me as I'm watching this. Uh, First
of all, to answer your question, on Jalen Milroe or
to yeah, address that your your friend is exactly right.
Over the last two years, Jalen Milroe has exactly four
attempts from under center. Wow, three from a season ago
(09:43):
and one from the season before.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
It's look, it's a big adjustment.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Your field of vision is such when you're up at
the line scrimmage, it's only five you know what, I
had intended to do the calculations on Dick when you
and I are on and we got we got a lazy.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Day all and your good stuff for deck.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
But when you're when you're at the line of scrimmage,
your your field of vision. If you just put a
point of cornerback to cornerback, okay, so all eleven defenders,
that's a wider field of vision, so you don't see
as much.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
Obviously, there's the space from the offensive.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Line and and and certainly in play action, when you
turn your back to the defense, it's a better fake.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
It coincides with the running game better.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Like there's all kinds of If I just said, okay,
we want to focus on what's best for the running
game and what is best for play action.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
Stop right there.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Nobody would dispute that under center is better for both,
got me because you can that you can put the
running back in the dot position, which is neutral, right
behind the quarterback, and he can go straight downhill on
the stretch to the left or to the right, there's
no delay in that. And then the quarterback has his
back to the defense. He can hide the ball on
his belt buckle, like there's all kinds of reasons for that,
but it's harder on the quarterback from the standpoint of
(11:08):
now you lose eyesight with the defense, and when you
turn back around to see the defense, you're like, oh.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
What a surprise.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
All eleven of those cats moved a lot from the
last time I saw him. And so now you've got
a process. Okay, where are they? You know, I thought
it was going to be cover four. Oh, it looks
like it's three buzzs. The safety came down. He's not
a deep player. Now he's a shallow hooks own player.
Like all these process and this is all happening in
less than a second. And so this is going to
be an important adjustment for Milroe and and I think
(11:38):
this is encouraging to me for Seahawk fans. I'll just
give you some numbers. And this is not a bang
on Gino play that you know, if you want to
throw grub or whatever, I'm just saying the facts. So
the percent of under center of the play GINO last
year was twenty ninth in the NFL. Donald was third.
Attempts GINO was nineteenth. This is all under center, Donald
(11:59):
was second. Passer rating GINO was sixteenth. Donald was first.
And then you say, well, what about the bad offensive line?
This is I'm gonna keep giving these public service announcements
that the Viking line was not a good line. They
lost their left tackle, Christian Darisa a Dalton, rising of
their guard at Ingram their guard. The percentage of a
(12:22):
pressure last year, Gino was forty point six under center,
Donald was thirty nine point three. So one ranks twenty
seventh in the league, wins twenty fifth. It is essentially
the same. But play action yards per attempt GINO was
twenty seventh in the league. Donald's second. So and I've
(12:42):
got other numbers in front of you here. What's the
bottom line. Donald showed an ability despite being under pressure
that he can operate under center.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
Why is that important?
Speaker 2 (12:51):
That's going to help the running game, that's going to
help the play action game, particularly when you consider that
we're going to play it now the play actions stats
I that might have been faking ISO a lead draw
in the A gap that there's no distinguishing there. When
you fake the wide zone, the defensive line has to
step laterally because and then if it's a first and
(13:13):
ten play action, think of that. Just look like reason,
that's through the defensive line in the front seven. They're
gonna go sideways towards the sideline to defend the the
the wide zone. And they go, oh, now, oh, it's
a play action pass. Now let me go after the quarterback. Well,
now instead of going from point A to point B
a straight line, you've gone from A and then you've
(13:34):
gone towards the sideline for a few steps. Then you've
recognized that it's passed. Now you get up the field
for the quarterback. Well, the quarterbacks can have more more time.
So I think that there's some really important things that
are gonna be happening on first and second down. Now
third down. Obviously, play action for the most part goes
out the window. You got you gotta make your hay
just drop in the dropback game behind center. But first
(13:55):
and second down manufacturing these big plays. You know, you
know this. This is something that Darnold has shown and
it's gonna be something we're gonna be looking for, and
it's gonna be something Jaylen Milroe needs to get a
you know, comfortable with Hugh.
Speaker 5 (14:11):
Looking at ken Walker's rushing numbers in his first three years,
the carries go down every year, The yards go down
every year, the yards per carry go down every year,
and the touchdowns go down every year. So why did
he put Platau in twenty twenty two? And does he
fit this new running style better or worse than he
fit the Waldron slash grub scheme.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Okay, all I can do is give you my opinion
about K nine, and I'll go from the the first
time he was a Seahawk. I think the guy has
superstar written all over him. I think he's much better
than Sharbonnay. Now, I will say, you know, the best
way to analyze, in my opinion is follow where the
evidence leads.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
I don't I hope I don't get misquoted on this.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
I'm slightly, I mean a sliver less excited about K
nine because I thought he had his worst year in
twenty twenty four. I thought that was about one play
per game where I thought he missed the hole that
and so what I still want to say. I really
love Canine. I don't love him quite as much as
I did, but I have not changed my mind.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Dick. I'm not going to ask a day because Dave's
got a d D. He won't.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
He won't even get us. But take take a pen.
What are you talking, by the way, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
Well huh, he was on with us right now, Davi.
These are this, I think this is really important. Numbers.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Twenty twenty two K nine his his yards per attempt
on the outside zone was four point eight yards per attempt.
That ranked eleven out of forty three qualifying half acts.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
Okay, so he's four.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Point Then then the next year twenty twenty three, he
was at He went from four point eight to four
point two, which was twenty three twenty third forty nine qualifiers,
and then last year he went down to two point eight.
He was thirty ninth out of forty six. Those are
all outside zone and the percentage of outside zone that
(16:02):
Alvin Kamara had last year was fourth in the NFL
forty five percent. Almost on the outside zone whereas Canine
was just he was thirty second in the NFL at
nineteen percent. You're going on, you're going well over double
the outside zone attempts for Canine again, he went from
(16:22):
four point eight to four point two to two point eight.
I'm not going to repeat the rankings, but they they
had eleven, eleventh, twenty to thirty nine. Had a boy, Dick,
I knew I can count on it? Can you repeat
that whole thing? I didn't hear any of it.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
By the way, Hey, by the way, you know, for
a guy busting my balls about having add you realize
that we're already two minutes late for a break, don't you?
Speaker 4 (16:41):
Oh well, I don't.
Speaker 5 (16:42):
Didn't.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
I just start playing Oscar music for you, the way
TBS does for Charles Barsley.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
By the way, how about that what you want? They did?
Speaker 4 (16:49):
Okay, Dave? Can you remember any of the numbers? What
were they last year?
Speaker 3 (16:52):
I wasn't paying attention. I was watching the NBA lottery.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
But I will say this though, to two point eight,
I was the guy I I asked you two weeks ago,
how big a year is this for Kenny Walker?
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Because guys, here's the thing. He was not a first
round draft pick.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
He was the forty first shockingly enough, forty one second
round pick. He was the second running back taken. Breece
Hall was the first one. Okay, if he was drafted
the same years Charles Cross, if he was a first
rounder and you had to pick up the fifth year
option on Kenny Walker right now, like the Hawks just
did for Charles Cross, would you pick it up?
Speaker 3 (17:24):
You wouldn't pick it up?
Speaker 5 (17:25):
Though, this is a big ass year for I love
Kenny Walker, right but this is a huge year.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
Not just for him to fit into the system. But
if he can't stay healthy again, forget it.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
I mean, yeah, I'm not so sure I would. I'd
have to see what the numbers are, and we're fits
in the cap. I don't think it's a slam dunk
that you wouldn't but but we can say this.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
If his numbers continue to trend that way, it wouldn't
because he's got you one more year to decide.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
I think I think this they're going to have a
more of a concerted effort. I do think he can
run the outside zone. There's less there's more structure there.
Rick Dennison, the run coordinated for the Seahawks, for this
year was in the at the Broncho on the Bronco
staff when I was playing, and we we ran the
outside zone with twelve Davis and all those other cats
(18:09):
and and they and they literally tell you, listen, Canine,
on this front, this is where the hole is gonna be.
On this front, this is where the hole you're gonna go.
You're gonna aim towards the tight end. And you're gonna
make a decision by your third step, which will allow
you two more steps. You have to make your cut
by your fifth step. It is much more structure. They're
gonna tell you where to go on the front and
(18:32):
and uh so I think, look, I still believe in
the man, but this is really important stuff if you're
a Seahawks fan. In my opinion, this what how does
Canine adjust to the new philosophy. And I I'm still
banking on the guy. I think he's a really good back.
Maybe not top five like I once thought, but I
think he's still a top uh has a potential to
(18:53):
be a top ten back. And and running the outside
zone is gonna be really interesting for me.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
I'm with you. I love it.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Well, let's keep me mouthy then, right, that's the biggest thing.
All right, man, Why should I pay attention to any
of that? When Dick wrote it all down. I can
just talk to him during you can.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
Yeah, you can refer back to it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
By the way, we are now former. That's late for
a break, So done, my friend. All Right, we'll talk
to somebody. Hugh milling with us on the show, the
NBA Draft Lottery Meeting the Cooper Flag lottery rights.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
I mean, who's the second best player in the draft,
the kid from Rutgers.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Okay, well, nobody wants him, right, We're gonna find out
next who's getting the number one pick and who's getting Cooper.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
Flagg will tell you coming up on ninety three three
kJ R FM.
Joining us right now on the radio show A little
More at four with our friend Hugh Millan. Always feel
like he's on a ton but there's some stuff that
you know, we just need more out of him, you know,
we need to get the stuff that we want. There's
more juice. So we pay him a lot of money.
We got to get him on as much as possible.
I wasn't aware we were paying him. I thought this
was all just kind of like out of the goodness
of his heart. Well, Hugh Millan, who apparently is making
(00:20):
a ton of money off of us, is joining us
on the radio show How are you, buddy?
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Fiction and fiction, but of course a lot is a
relative term. But great to be with you, guys. How's
your Monday?
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Ah?
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Good, Thanks for asking. I can feel the sincerity coming
out of your voice. By the way, let's start with
what's going on Wednesday night?
Speaker 3 (00:41):
The schedule. There's leaks coming out.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Some of them aren't even leaks, they're actual announcements by
the NFL Eagles Dallas in the opener September fourth. Fox
has that doubleheader in December Philadelphia, Washington, Green Bay, Chicago.
We know the opponents, we don't know the times or
dates or prime time games. So what are you going
to be keeping an eye on Wednesday around five clock?
Speaker 4 (01:00):
He yeah, well, and of course, as you said, we
know the opponents.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
But I think it's interesting a lot of discussion about
Thursday night football and the fact you know the short rest.
But if you think about this, guys, both teams. If
the Seahawks pick a team they play the Rams. If
both the Seahawks and Rams play on Sunday and then
they play on Thursday, they're both that at a similar disadvantage.
(01:26):
Of course, the road team would be at a little
bit more of a disadvantage, but they have to fight
through that. But then they get a rest on the backside,
and so it's the next game where you get the
kind of mini buy the actual advantage. And over the
last four years twenty one through twenty four seasons, teams
with nine days rest that's playing on Thursday and their
(01:49):
opponent is on six days rest, so their opponent played
on Sunday.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Got it.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Those teams over the last four years are fifty one,
forty three and one win percent. That is not insignificant.
So I think the Thursday night games, if the players
can just say, look it sucks to play on Thursday,
no doubt, but it sucks for them too, But we
get the benefit on the back.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
We get a little.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Most coaches give a little a day or two off
on the weekend and then you get that advantage the
next Sunday. So I'll be looking at that in addition
to some of the changes we see at the coaching
positions and quarterbacks.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Good point here because it's huge.
Speaker 5 (02:29):
But I remember Warren Sharp last year, right after the schedule,
he did a big database of which team had the
net positive rest and the net negative rest versus their
opponent each and every game, and he said, by far
the net negative team was the San Francisco forty nine ers,
and that was the reason. I think he had them
going like eight to nine or nine and eight, and
(02:51):
they went six and eleven. So it does mean something.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Well, you can't isolate the variables. Sure, of course that's
a correlation to consider, but I wasn't aware. Now he's
a sharp dude, pun intended, and so if he's finding
that much correlation, it's worth noting because I think he's
he's really uh comprehensive. But the other part, and and
and I know I'm not the first to say it.
But just let's just review some of the teams. Certainly,
(03:17):
you go back to a year ago the Sea IKX
start with the Broncos. Broncos started zher and two. Uh,
then they won five of their next six with rookie
bow nicks and they finished ten and seven. Of course
that the JV game against the Chiefs at the end,
but nonetheless so so I think, just considering here, here's
some thoughts on potential rookie quarterbacks. The Saints Tyler Schuck,
(03:42):
can he beat out the likes of Spencer Ratler?
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Maybe? Probably?
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Certainly the Titans, cam Ward is gonna be uh, he'll
be your starter. Two guys in in second year with
an asterisk, JJ McCarthy with the Vikings, playing the Vikings,
I'd like to play them early.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Now McCarthy got more out of it being injured than
he would have if he was a straight rookie. But
there's there's there's certainly some rookie ISSU components there with McCarthy,
the Falcons with Pennix. Here's new coaches Jaggs, Liam Cohen.
Uh So a new system there. You'd maybe like to
play them early. The Saints I'd really like to play
the Saints early, although maybe they're going to be so
(04:24):
bad it doesn't matter. But but the Saints have uh
if they have Tyler Shuck as a new quarterback. They
also have a new head coach and Kellen Moore. So
there's a lot of newness there.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
Uh. And then finally two.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
More uh maybe lesser but offensive coordinators new Tampa, Bay
and Houston have the same quarterback, but new offensive coordinators.
And Indy and Atlanta have the same head coaches but
new defensive coordinators. So I'm just kind of looking for uh,
newness or or or our potential turmoil because of not
(04:56):
settling into the system, and and and those are some
teams to look at. You you'd probably like to play
some of those teams early.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
I'm just looking at the home schedule obviously San Francisco, Rams, Arizona,
and then Colt Saints, Tampa, Texas, Texans, and Minnesota. It's
pretty good. If I would have told you four years
ago that Baker Mayfield would be the best quarterback you'd
see at home all your life, right, would you have
bought that?
Speaker 4 (05:19):
You?
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yeah, I wouldn't have. I wouldn't have. It's a hell
of a story. And and you know for those you know,
the whole league has been struggling for decades, really generations
to figure out who can play quarterback.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
Well, just think about this.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
I'm going to say a really simple sentence, and it
represents this is the number one most important and most
vexing question in all of American sports. Okay, that's subjective,
but I'm gonna argue, and the question goes like this,
which of these great college quarterbacks will make good to
great pro quarterbacks?
Speaker 4 (05:56):
Like think, how easy to say say that?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
You know the English request maybe first grade English? And
yet that question billions are at state at that question.
And and here Baker Mayfield number one overall. Then it
looks like he's you know, he was gonna be a bust.
And then a few teams later, you know he's on
his four team now and he's getting one hundred million
(06:18):
dollar contract.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
I mean, go figure right.
Speaker 5 (06:22):
Well, and to that point, Hugh, if you would have
watched ESPN all weekend from Brown's camp, you would have
thought not only was Shador Sanders the only quarterback drafted
by the Cleveland Browns, you would have thought Shador Sanders
was the first round pick of the Cleveland Browns.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
Because that's all we saw.
Speaker 5 (06:39):
We all wait, wasn't the Oregon quarterback also drafted by
by I mean, that was just bizarre.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
The coverage that that he got.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Well, it's just you know, as he said, the cameras
follow him everywhere. It was the story of the weekend
for the NFL relatively slow weekend. But you know, I
was a third round draft pick. Jalen Milroe is a
third round draft pick. Dylan Gabriel is a third round
draft pick. When you go into these situations, you kind
of expect, like, hey, I will say I'm the dude,
(07:08):
because that implies the wrong things. What you're really interested
in is the reps. And you know it's not your
you know, it's it's professional sports. You can have to compete,
but what you want is reps. And so you would normally,
you know, like in the case of Jalen Milroe with
Will Rogers, who was a tryout guy, you know, Jalen
Millroe is going to get the line's share, He's going
(07:28):
to be the dude and get all the reps with
the first team certainly, and and I think in Cleveland
Dylan Gabriel, look, nobody's going to play a violin for
Dylan Gabriel, but in a way he kind of got hosed.
And you know, you know, so here here Sanders, And look,
I'm not a Shaduur Sanders. Based on everything he's done,
I've talked about some of it. I could do a
(07:49):
whole segment on it. But I so I'm not rooting
for Shadeur Sanders, but I will tip my hat. Ever
since he got drafted, he he has said all the
right things and he appears to be since here he's
kind of just like, hey, I'm healthy, I've got a
great opportunity. There's a great sist. So some of the
petulance that I might have predicted, yeah, given the circumstances
(08:10):
and the draft and all this and going to Cleveland's
facing Cleveland ain't sexy, right, So so I think that
he's been a pro since that, literally the second he
got drafted. Again, I'm not rooting for him, but he
might change my mind. If he keeps this this attitude,
I may have a one to eighty on him.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Well.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Part of the problem with him, though, is how much
attention he gets isn't really up to him, right, I Mean,
if he's the third string quarterback and he's got more
people at his locker than the number one guy or
even backup does. I'm curious to see how that plays
out in Cleveland, and kind of I'm kind of rooting
for it to happen, to be honest with you guys,
just to see the chaos. But humillans with us. And
here let me circle back to quarterbacks. Here in Seattle.
(08:49):
I had a chance to bump into my pal Ryan
Fowler this morning. They were in town going to a
cruise up in Alaska, so I went and met him
and his family. We were yacking about Grubb going down there,
a mill Roe coming up here, and I asked him
how much Jalen Milroe was under center.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
With Alabama and he said hardly.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Ever, Well, Clint Kubiak like staff quarterbacks under center right
more often than maybe other OC's. So for both Milroe
and Sam Darnold with what he had in Minnesota, how
much of a complete one eighty is there gonna be
for both these cats? How much time they got their
hands under center?
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Yeah, I think it's a really important component of twenty
twenty five for me as I'm watching this. Uh, First
of all, to answer your question, on Jalen Milroe or
to yeah, address that your your friend is exactly right.
Over the last two years, Jalen Milroe has exactly four
attempts from under center. Wow, three from a season ago
(09:43):
and one from the season before.
Speaker 4 (09:46):
It's look, it's a big adjustment.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Your field of vision is such when you're up at
the line scrimmage, it's only five you know what, I
had intended to do the calculations on Dick when you
and I are on and we got we got a lazy.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Day all and your good stuff for deck.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
But when you're when you're at the line of scrimmage,
your your field of vision. If you just put a
point of cornerback to cornerback, okay, so all eleven defenders,
that's a wider field of vision, so you don't see
as much.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
Obviously, there's the space from the offensive.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Line and and and certainly in play action, when you
turn your back to the defense, it's a better fake.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
It coincides with the running game better.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Like there's all kinds of If I just said, okay,
we want to focus on what's best for the running
game and what is best for play action.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
Stop right there.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Nobody would dispute that under center is better for both,
got me because you can that you can put the
running back in the dot position, which is neutral, right
behind the quarterback, and he can go straight downhill on
the stretch to the left or to the right, there's
no delay in that. And then the quarterback has his
back to the defense. He can hide the ball on
his belt buckle, like there's all kinds of reasons for that,
but it's harder on the quarterback from the standpoint of
(11:08):
now you lose eyesight with the defense, and when you
turn back around to see the defense, you're like, oh.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
What a surprise.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
All eleven of those cats moved a lot from the
last time I saw him. And so now you've got
a process. Okay, where are they? You know, I thought
it was going to be cover four. Oh, it looks
like it's three buzzs. The safety came down. He's not
a deep player. Now he's a shallow hooks own player.
Like all these process and this is all happening in
less than a second. And so this is going to
be an important adjustment for Milroe and and I think
(11:38):
this is encouraging to me for Seahawk fans. I'll just
give you some numbers. And this is not a bang
on Gino play that you know, if you want to
throw grub or whatever, I'm just saying the facts. So
the percent of under center of the play GINO last
year was twenty ninth in the NFL. Donald was third.
Attempts GINO was nineteenth. This is all under center, Donald
(11:59):
was second. Passer rating GINO was sixteenth. Donald was first.
And then you say, well, what about the bad offensive line?
This is I'm gonna keep giving these public service announcements
that the Viking line was not a good line. They
lost their left tackle, Christian Darisa a Dalton, rising of
their guard at Ingram their guard. The percentage of a
(12:22):
pressure last year, Gino was forty point six under center,
Donald was thirty nine point three. So one ranks twenty
seventh in the league, wins twenty fifth. It is essentially
the same. But play action yards per attempt GINO was
twenty seventh in the league. Donald's second. So and I've
(12:42):
got other numbers in front of you here. What's the
bottom line. Donald showed an ability despite being under pressure
that he can operate under center.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
Why is that important?
Speaker 2 (12:51):
That's going to help the running game, that's going to
help the play action game, particularly when you consider that
we're going to play it now the play actions stats
I that might have been faking ISO a lead draw
in the A gap that there's no distinguishing there. When
you fake the wide zone, the defensive line has to
step laterally because and then if it's a first and
(13:13):
ten play action, think of that. Just look like reason,
that's through the defensive line in the front seven. They're
gonna go sideways towards the sideline to defend the the
the wide zone. And they go, oh, now, oh, it's
a play action pass. Now let me go after the quarterback. Well,
now instead of going from point A to point B
a straight line, you've gone from A and then you've
(13:34):
gone towards the sideline for a few steps. Then you've
recognized that it's passed. Now you get up the field
for the quarterback. Well, the quarterbacks can have more more time.
So I think that there's some really important things that
are gonna be happening on first and second down. Now
third down. Obviously, play action for the most part goes
out the window. You got you gotta make your hay
just drop in the dropback game behind center. But first
(13:55):
and second down manufacturing these big plays. You know, you
know this. This is something that Darnold has shown and
it's gonna be something we're gonna be looking for, and
it's gonna be something Jaylen Milroe needs to get a
you know, comfortable with Hugh.
Speaker 5 (14:11):
Looking at ken Walker's rushing numbers in his first three years,
the carries go down every year, The yards go down
every year, the yards per carry go down every year,
and the touchdowns go down every year. So why did
he put Platau in twenty twenty two? And does he
fit this new running style better or worse than he
fit the Waldron slash grub scheme.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Okay, all I can do is give you my opinion
about K nine, and I'll go from the the first
time he was a Seahawk. I think the guy has
superstar written all over him. I think he's much better
than Sharbonnay. Now, I will say, you know, the best
way to analyze, in my opinion is follow where the
evidence leads.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
I don't I hope I don't get misquoted on this.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
I'm slightly, I mean a sliver less excited about K
nine because I thought he had his worst year in
twenty twenty four. I thought that was about one play
per game where I thought he missed the hole that
and so what I still want to say. I really
love Canine. I don't love him quite as much as
I did, but I have not changed my mind.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Dick. I'm not going to ask a day because Dave's
got a d D. He won't.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
He won't even get us. But take take a pen.
What are you talking, by the way, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
Well huh, he was on with us right now, Davi.
These are this, I think this is really important. Numbers.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Twenty twenty two K nine his his yards per attempt
on the outside zone was four point eight yards per attempt.
That ranked eleven out of forty three qualifying half acts.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
Okay, so he's four.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Point Then then the next year twenty twenty three, he
was at He went from four point eight to four
point two, which was twenty three twenty third forty nine qualifiers,
and then last year he went down to two point eight.
He was thirty ninth out of forty six. Those are
all outside zone and the percentage of outside zone that
(16:02):
Alvin Kamara had last year was fourth in the NFL
forty five percent. Almost on the outside zone whereas Canine
was just he was thirty second in the NFL at
nineteen percent. You're going on, you're going well over double
the outside zone attempts for Canine again, he went from
(16:22):
four point eight to four point two to two point eight.
I'm not going to repeat the rankings, but they they
had eleven, eleventh, twenty to thirty nine. Had a boy, Dick,
I knew I can count on it? Can you repeat
that whole thing? I didn't hear any of it.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
By the way, Hey, by the way, you know, for
a guy busting my balls about having add you realize
that we're already two minutes late for a break, don't you?
Speaker 4 (16:41):
Oh well, I don't.
Speaker 5 (16:42):
Didn't.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
I just start playing Oscar music for you, the way
TBS does for Charles Barsley.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
By the way, how about that what you want? They did?
Speaker 4 (16:49):
Okay, Dave? Can you remember any of the numbers? What
were they last year?
Speaker 3 (16:52):
I wasn't paying attention. I was watching the NBA lottery.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
But I will say this though, to two point eight,
I was the guy I I asked you two weeks ago,
how big a year is this for Kenny Walker?
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Because guys, here's the thing. He was not a first
round draft pick.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
He was the forty first shockingly enough, forty one second
round pick. He was the second running back taken. Breece
Hall was the first one. Okay, if he was drafted
the same years Charles Cross, if he was a first
rounder and you had to pick up the fifth year
option on Kenny Walker right now, like the Hawks just
did for Charles Cross, would you pick it up?
Speaker 3 (17:24):
You wouldn't pick it up?
Speaker 5 (17:25):
Though, this is a big ass year for I love
Kenny Walker, right but this is a huge year.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
Not just for him to fit into the system. But
if he can't stay healthy again, forget it.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
I mean, yeah, I'm not so sure I would. I'd
have to see what the numbers are, and we're fits
in the cap. I don't think it's a slam dunk
that you wouldn't but but we can say this.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
If his numbers continue to trend that way, it wouldn't
because he's got you one more year to decide.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
I think I think this they're going to have a
more of a concerted effort. I do think he can
run the outside zone. There's less there's more structure there.
Rick Dennison, the run coordinated for the Seahawks, for this
year was in the at the Broncho on the Bronco
staff when I was playing, and we we ran the
outside zone with twelve Davis and all those other cats
(18:09):
and and they and they literally tell you, listen, Canine,
on this front, this is where the hole is gonna be.
On this front, this is where the hole you're gonna go.
You're gonna aim towards the tight end. And you're gonna
make a decision by your third step, which will allow
you two more steps. You have to make your cut
by your fifth step. It is much more structure. They're
gonna tell you where to go on the front and
(18:32):
and uh so I think, look, I still believe in
the man, but this is really important stuff if you're
a Seahawks fan. In my opinion, this what how does
Canine adjust to the new philosophy. And I I'm still
banking on the guy. I think he's a really good back.
Maybe not top five like I once thought, but I
think he's still a top uh has a potential to
(18:53):
be a top ten back. And and running the outside
zone is gonna be really interesting for me.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
I'm with you. I love it.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Well, let's keep me mouthy then, right, that's the biggest thing.
All right, man, Why should I pay attention to any
of that? When Dick wrote it all down. I can
just talk to him during you can.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
Yeah, you can refer back to it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
By the way, we are now former. That's late for
a break, So done, my friend. All Right, we'll talk
to somebody. Hugh milling with us on the show, the
NBA Draft Lottery Meeting the Cooper Flag lottery rights.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
I mean, who's the second best player in the draft,
the kid from Rutgers.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Okay, well, nobody wants him, right, We're gonna find out
next who's getting the number one pick and who's getting Cooper.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
Flagg will tell you coming up on ninety three three
kJ R FM.
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