May 28, 2026 • 22 mins
Softy and Dick talk to Ray Roberts about the state of the Seahawks following the Super Bowl win and their mindset in the offseason. Also, should the Seahawks have addressed the tackle position and how much credit does Sam Darnold deserve for last season?
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ian Rappaport reporting as well, the market for the Seahawks
new owners could be robust, and then we could see
a price succeed ten billion dollars and could have a
new owner by August. Well, speaking of the Seahawks, joining
us right now on the radio program, former Seahawks offensive
lineman Ray Roberts with OTAs now in the rearview window,
joining us on the radio show Big Ray, how are you, man?
(00:21):
What's going on?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
I'm just chilling, man. Don needed to take a little
break from the action. So I'm down here at my
buddy spot on hook to now for the for the
rest of the week and the weekend, just chilling a
little bit.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Okay, Okay, So the question is are the wives there?
And if not, how much debauchery is going on this weekend?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
There is just me and marcirl here.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
I got you, so no debauchery at all.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
There.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
You're you're you're being a good guy. You're being a
good boy. I love it. I love it. Well, yeah, Ray,
let's uh, let's first of all, because we haven't talked
to you in a while, man, get your thoughts on
everything that's taken place since the Seahawks smacked the Patriots
around at Levi Stadium and Santa Clara a few months ago.
Kenny Walker gone, Kobe Bryant gone, Reek Woolling gone. A
(01:07):
few new names brought in, but for the most part,
a ton of guys off this football team are back
next year. What do you make of the way the
last couple of months have played out since they won
their second Lombardi.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Man, you know what, like if it was just had
they not done what they did last off season when
they got rid of the offensive staff and the starring
quarterback and the starting receiver and they just regrouped and
found the way to win the Super Bowl, I might
be a little bit nervous, but you know they they've
been in this water before and they were able to
(01:39):
navigate it to get to a Super Bowl champion. And
so you're gonna lose players from time to time, especially
in the Super Bowl year like that, maybe you get
a little bit too expensive of what have you. But
I do think that I really trust and what coach
McDonald has created as a coacher and the way they
want to play football and they starting to then it
(02:01):
reminds me of Detroit when Dan Campbell got there, Like
they started to find the types of dudes that kind
of fit the culture that they're trying to build. And
so I feel like, not that those other guys didn't
fit the culture. They just kind of, you know, the
money and just wasn't going to work out for everybody.
But the guys that they brought in I think fit
the culture, even to the point where you often the
coordinator like he was just kind of like a hey,
(02:23):
let's just make sure we're dott and eyes and crossing
the t's, and and he ended up, you know, making
an impression enough with coach McDonald that they went that
way versus hiring from inside.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
They certainly have a great culture, but it's one thing
to win your first Super Bowl championship. How can this
team be as motivated to win a second Super Bowl championship.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Well, the thing that helps is that everyone is still
just doubting them, you know, and and the doubt only
lasts for so long. You still have to get out
there and play the games and executing all that stuff.
But I do like the mindset that they have because
they're not looking at it as defending the championship or
they're defending champions because each season has its own history,
(03:06):
and so you have to start fresh. You have different
people coming into the team, different coaches. You got to
make sure that you can maintain the culture that you created. Uh,
that helps you get to the super Bowl. So I
like their mentality and that they're I think their phrases,
we're trying to run it forward, which means that they're
trying to run their culture forward, not you know, rewin
(03:27):
the Super Bowl. And so I like that approach to it.
And so, uh, I'm excited, Like i'd, like I said,
I would have been nervous, you know, but last year
they navigated all that change and found a way to
win a Super Bowl. So I'm excited to see what happens.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Yeah, that just sounds like a corny way of saying
run it back, by the way, or a corny way
of saying, defend our championship. And I get it because
Pete did the same weird stuff when he was here,
by the way, he would take it us.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
The only the only different. The only thing though softy
is like some people say that and it's just coach talk, right,
like the stuff you just throw up on the wall
and like faith, family and football. It's like, okay, that
sounds cool. But uh, but if you're not intentional and
how you build the stuff, then it just becomes word
on the on the wall. But if you listen to
like what coach McDonald did last year with the walk
(04:12):
and talks in the way that they took time letting
guys get to know each other, that was the difference
to me in this team, Like I remember telling our
broadcast team a lot, like man, this team uses the
word connecting us a lot, and then you start watching it.
And then to me, it was solidified when all the
talk was going on about Sam Donol and Ernest Jones said,
you know what he said and uh and that wasn't
(04:35):
locker room talk. That came from a real place and uh.
And so to me, that's the difference. And so that's
why some coaches are super intentional in building culture. Some
coaches just stay it because it sounds great and they
just hope that it's some kind of magic happens.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Now I totally get it. I mean, if it works
behind closed doors, that's all that matters. And for those
that did miss what Ernest Jones said, by the way, uh,
Ray Roberts with us, Ray, did they have any glaring
needs going into the offseason that you felt like they
did not address in free agency or in the draft.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Not that I know of. I mean like that when
I look around, Like obviously, Kobe Bryant to me was
a you know, I love Kobe Bryant because he came
in as a pouted, you know, defensive back. They put
him in the different safety spots and then he was
sharing time, missing time in actor sometimes, but every time
they put him in there, he was ready to go
and ready to play and always make him plays. And
(05:32):
so that kind of play make the ability that he had.
Uh you know, you might miss that a little bit.
But and then with Kenneth Walker, you know, Kenny Walker
finished the season strong, but there was there was some
some things in his game that didn't quite fit the
way that they run the football here and the way
they wanted to run the football. I think Price is
similar to to uh Knine, but he runs a little
(05:52):
bit more downhill, getting his shoulder squatch with a lone
of scrimmage and so you have less of the cutback,
you know, hesitation, that type of stuff. And so I
like the guys that they've added. I don't know if
there's a glaring need that they have. At some point
you got to get a little bit younger in those
edge rushers. But those dudes are at that age are
playing good, productive football, So I'm happy with it.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Well, every team's got a worst starter on their team.
Our good friend Hu Breed Love Millan believes that worst
starter is Anthony Bradford. Do you agree with that? And
how big of an issue is the right guard spot
considering I mean, all they did was use a fifth
round pick on a guard. They didn't do anything high
and they didn't bring in a free agent.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Well, here's the thing is that down the stretch Anthony
Bradford played some really good football. And yeah, you're kind
of find some clips, you know, where he missed the
block or he kind of you know, Mitchley was kind
of disengaged and didn't get things done. But the other
thing that I I want to say, maybe halfway through
the season, I did a show with the show that
(06:56):
Bumpus does on Thursdays. I filled him for Paul Morier
and we interviewed him and the thing that was really
interesting is that how not immature as in like a
person immature, but the growth that he needed to have
happened as a football player, and he starts thinking about
all the different coach off of the line coaches he's
had since he's been in the league, the different systems
(07:17):
he's had since he's been in the league. It's really
hard to grow in that because you're always constantly trying
to learn what you should supposed to be doing enough
that then you can then be mature in it. And
that was the first time I kind of heard that
from him, and he was pretty vulnerable about it. He's like, yeah,
like he's like, I have a lot of growing to do,
but I've gone through like five, three or four whatever
it is offensive line coaches. Every offensive line coach has
(07:38):
a slightly different way that they coach the technique and
those types of things, and so you know, it takes
a you know, maybe takes him a little bit of
time to get into it. So I'm not as down
on Anthony Bradford, but it's always good to bring in
some competition to kind of push him. I think both Stevens,
you know, could be a guy that does that. I
don't know. He's not the most fleet of foot type
of dude, but he's a very strong, power, powerful run blocker,
(08:01):
which you know, teams normally are right handed when they
run the football, and so they tend to run to
the right more. So you know, he could maybe, you
know in some of those guys they drafted last year,
could create some competition for him. But I think if
someone spits the top, I'm not gonna lie. He's a
dude that if they said, hey, Ray, can you come
and work with this guy just on his mental approach
to the game, I would love to do it because
he has all the talent and stuff in the world.
(08:22):
He just needs to figure out a way to stay
locked in for four quarters and not for three and
a half.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
You're talking Bradford you'd work with right, Yeah, okay, so
well let's let's dive into that then for a second.
That's interesting, Ray roberts with us. If Anthony Bradford did
call you and say, hey, can I get you for
a couple hours, right, come down to v Mac. Let's
hit the field. Yeah, hit the facility. Give us. I'm
actually curious about this. Give us in detail if you
(08:48):
can a couple of things that you'd talk to with
him about or do do with them.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Yeah, Well, one of the things would just be like
his mental approach to the game. My rookie year, I
had kind of like an up and down season. I
started to sleezing, kind of slow. I finish it, you know,
pretty strong. But for the first time ever in my
football life, I was like, Man, these dudes over here
can really play, you know that, Like these guys can
(09:13):
get after the quarterback. And so no one had ever
beat me in stuff like that, And so then I
had to figure out a way how do I deal
with it. If a guy gets past me, I'll give
up a sack or a hit or whatever. How do
I deal with that for the next play, because I
would let it impact me for like the next two
or three plays. And so I met with this sports
psychologist and so this is where I got the whole
idea around every play has its own history, Every game
(09:37):
has his own history. Because if you get stuck in
ben either having a bad play, then it kind of
takes a strike at your confidence. So now you're question
yourself the next time you get to the line of scrimmage.
If you have a successful play, you can be over
confident going to the line of scrimmage. And so I
had these three things I would tell myself after every
single play after my rookie year, whether it was a
(09:57):
good play, bad play, or somewhere in between, and it
was I'm good enough, I'm prepared, trusted. That was the
way I reset myself every single play so that every
play has its own history. And that would be the
type of thing I would ask him, like what is
he thinking about, like when he's had a good play,
when he's had a bad play, how does he reset
himself after each play to kind of go back to
the line of scrimmage, How do you prepare? Like what
(10:19):
are you looking at? Like when I first came into
the league, I would watch film. It was like I
was watching a football game. It's just like I didn't
know what to do. I didn't know what I was studying,
but I should be studying like all these different things.
And Edwin Bailey and Ethan Jacob Green, they sat down
with men like, you know, look at these different things,
different situations. Where do you are on the field if
it's second and long, third and short, it's it's the
(10:41):
first order of the fourth quarters, before halftime, starting the
third quarter, all these different types of things that they
would kind of teach me to look for they kind
of kept you engaged in the game.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Now that's good stuff. Man. Well, Ray just following up
on that, Ray Roberts with us. I mean, one of
the biggest subtractions may prove to be Clint Kopiak, who's
now the head coach of the Raiders, and Brian's Flurry's
coming in here. And remember we had Brian on the
air when he was hired, and he basically was saying
on the air, look, I need to figure out how
much I need to change and versus how much they
(11:10):
need to change, or how much we're gonna meet in
the middle. If you're Brian Flurry, how much do you
want to kind of disrupt the Apple card here or
just jump on board and keep the train moving just
like Kubiak did.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Well, I think they get the get the best out
of him. I think that whatever meet in the middle
or you know, it's his Uh. If it's if they
got a car to Apples that are you know, pretty
going pretty good, then maybe we just put some Kramel
on top of the apples, you know what I'm saying.
So and so whatever his little tweak to it, I
think you got to let him do that. Otherwise he's
not the guy that you hired. You hired him for
(11:46):
a reason, you know, and so you have to allow
what his vision is to be part of it without
totally disrupting what you were doing. So it sounds like
that's what they got. When you listen to coach McDonald,
he said he uses the same type of mentality and
approach to the game. He just uses different words that
he said. So there's kind of speaking the same language.
But there is gonna be a nuance and some of
(12:08):
it maybe it's situational, maybe it's personnel type stuff. Maybe
he's more aggressive in different parts of the field than
they were last year, that type of thing. But uh,
but I can't. I don't think you can hire a
person or even bringing a player and then and then
handcuff them, uh and say, you know, like we don't
we don't want you to be who we thought you were.
You know, you got to let them be who they are.
And so I do think there's going to be some
(12:30):
meet in the middle, But it doesn't sound like there's
going to be such a big meat in the middle
that there's going to be a huge change what they do.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Right Ray Roberts joining us, They invested long term in
bolt tackles. They're going into their fifty or each one
of them. Have they peaked out, have they reached their peak,
or are there's still things that they can get significantly
better at.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Yeah, I think, Uh, the thing with Charles call Us
is Charles I don't know if you guys, I'm not
a big pro football focused dude, but if you want
to use it at metrics, when he started the season
last year, he was grading out at some of the
highest scores ever at offensive time, like he was really
leading the charge on the left tackle spot with the
(13:10):
with his grades and things, and then he tends to
kind of fade a little bit. And so some of
it is like that whole you know, a little bit
of Bradford like this. You have to be able to
stay focused and dominant for the whole season, not for
two thirds or three quarters or seven eighths. It has
to be the whole season. And so there are still
parts of the run blocking that I think he can
(13:31):
be better at. Uh. Sometimes in the pass protection he
gets a little bit high when a guy uses a
speed the power, so it looks like he's gonna speed
around the corner. Then his power into him and driving
back to the quarterback. So I think some of those
little things I think you need to be at. Other
than that, I think he's to me, he's one of
the top, you know, fifteen or so left tackles in
the league. And then Abe is just a matter of
(13:53):
just staying healthy and getting back into it. Like when
Abe is a very strong minded person, a strong willed person,
and a strong do altogether. But even last year, I
was like, man, why did he have that big net
role thing on, you know, because it made him like
less athletic, But it seemed like something was going on
and they wanted to wear that thing. So hopefully he
(14:13):
can get his whole body right and get a you know,
he played the whole season, which was great, right, but
that he's still good for all he has. I think
that they still both have space to grow in their position.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Well, you think about where he came from, Ray Ray
Roberts with us giving up that sack to boast of
the strip sack against the Niners in the first game
of the year and then kind of really took off
from that point. It felt like, but Ray Roberts with
us on the air and Ray, I'm just curious your
take on Donald because there are still some people out
there that don't want to put Donald in that top five,
top six, or seven category. Well, this team's all about defense.
(14:44):
They got a great lie, they got good receivers, and
Donald's just kind of a guy. I mean, what do
you say to people that are still not willing to
give Sam Darnald a ton of credits for what happened
a year ago?
Speaker 2 (14:58):
You know what, I'll be honest with you. Probably took
me about a little past half of the season to
be on the Sam Donald prem Like I just I
just was not really ready to say, like I'm all
in yet. Uh, but he proved to me that you know,
he can. This dude makes some incredible throws. Obviously had
too many turnovers and those types of things, and he's in.
(15:21):
He won games at the time when people were saying
there were big games and then all of a sudden,
the you know, the season changes and in that game
ended up not being so big. So they keep moving
the goal post on him, and that's the thing that's
that's tough if you're if you pay attention to that
kind of thing. But to me, it sounds as if
he has the backing of the team. And I'm not
(15:41):
just saying like the offensive guys and the receivers and
offensive coordinator, but I'm also talking about the defense. He
just played the clip from Ernest Jones, you know, and
like like Ernest Jones and that answer, that question could
have given you a locker room answer like, Hey, we're
gonna support our quarterback and you know, he's our guy,
We're gonna ride with him. Like that's just kind of
like giving you the standard of out of that. But
he came from a place where he like that was
(16:02):
real talk. You don't just say that about someone in
the locker room if you don't really think that about him.
And so as long as he has the locker room,
unless he gets caught up into all that nonsense, it
doesn't really matter, you know, if he if if they're
going to give you the credit or not. The dude
has a Super Bowl, So I would just tell him
to go do whatever they gotta do, you know what
I'm saying, Like I don't want to use Erniest Jones words,
(16:23):
but but but nah, I like Sam Darnold's you know,
doing the show with Bumpus and and uh Brian Walters
and they always point out a lot of times like
the ball is catching the receiver, like he sows he can,
he can put the ball in places that not a
lot of guys can and uh and I even think
(16:45):
when he decides to run the ball on scrambles sometimes
it makes him even more dangerous. And so not that
he's like Russell Wilson or anybody like that, but there's
been times where he got outside the pocket, could have
maybe picked up five or six yards and then maybe
try to make a throw he couldn't make or couldn't
make it, turn the ball over, but he could just
don't get those five to six yards, line up and
do it again. And so he did a little bit
(17:05):
more of that now. So I think him managing the game,
understanding how he fits in with the offense, understanding the
weapons that you have around him, and letting them do
the stuff I think would be much better this year,
especially to turn over space.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Let's compare this team to the Rams.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Who's got the better roster?
Speaker 3 (17:20):
And how would you feel if you were a Rams
fan and they use their first round draft pick on
a guy that they hope doesn't play a snap next year?
Speaker 2 (17:29):
Right? Yeah, you know what? The thing is and I
did the podcast with Mitch during the season and we
had this battle all year long. And I do think
that probably up all the way up and down the roster,
you know, if you went man for man or however
you rank it. I think the Rams probably have the
better roster, but that doesn't mean they have the best teams.
(17:51):
And I think people confuse it too, and to me,
the Seahawks have the best team. If you think about it,
the Seahawks are three plays away from being under feed
it like they bumble the ball against the forty nine
ers when it looks like they're probably gonna score right
there and maybe win the probably win the game if
they don't get the ball piped when Sam was trying
(18:12):
to throw it away against Tampa Bay and it got
intercepted into the game. And then if they get three
or four more yards against the Rams and uh down
in LA, they kick the field go to win the game.
So this three plays, they were that close to being undefeated,
an undefeated team, and so a lot of to me,
this difference between the Seahawks and those guys, And this
(18:32):
is why I think this is the most important thing
this off season, is re capturing the culture that they had, Right,
That's that's the hardest thing. You get new people, people
playing different roles. You know, every some people may have
gotten a little bit more money. So you got to
manage all that stuff to make sure that they're still
bought into the culture. Because if the coachure gets out
of whack, then the then the connectedness is different. And uh.
(18:55):
And so that's why each season, each off season is
just a it's on history. And so I think to
me that that's the biggest thing they have to manage
is that piece. And if they can do that, I
think they're the best team. They may not have the
best roster, but they have the best team. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
Well, they lost three games last year by a combined
nine points Ray Ray Roberts with us, and that was
the lowest point differential combined in any losses in Seahawk history.
They literally never came that close to winning every game
before in the history of their franchise. So you're exactly right.
But hey, dude, before you go Ray Roberts with Us
(19:29):
on the radio show, do the players care who the
next owner is. There's a report that came out today
the team may go for ten billions in a billion
and we could have a new owner by August. Do
the players care? You think inside that locker room? Is
that something that you'd be watching if you were a
current player?
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Yeah, I think so, just because of my and would
come into the locker room and talk to the players
and not no names and all this other kind of stuff.
And so that does have like I think you have
to be aware of it, especially in this day and
age two, with the money being so big and the
the visibility and all that kind of stuff, you have
to have at least, you know, you got to take
a peek at it and make sure that you're kind
(20:07):
of understanding who's coming to run the team and how
that's going to impact you know, maybe your career or
how they make decisions and those types of things. I
wouldn't invest like too much time stressing over because a
lot of it is out of your control. But but
I would I would spend some time wanting to know,
you know, who's going to own the team, and and
especially if my content like JSN probably is not worried
(20:27):
you just oign a new contract. But if I'm gonna
do this, like about you know, up for a contract
another year or two. Yeah, I'd probably pay attention to that.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
Ray Roberts, you're the man. Great stuff. Enjoy the weekend
with a lady and we will talk soon, buddy. Appreciate
this bell.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Yeah, before I go, can I just say, like, May
is mental health Awareness month. Yeah, I'm a big mental
health advocate, and so if you it's okay to not
be okay. If you need help, you know, reach out
to your your medical provider for some assistance. And when
you need help, you ask for help. You're operating from
a position of power. So if you need people to
(21:04):
come into your school, your business, whatever it is to
talk about mental health, I'm that dude, and just reach
out to me on social media whatever. I've done about
six keynotes this season this year so far. And so
take care of yourself and take care of the people
that you love. If you ask somebody how they're doing
and they say okay, don't leave it at okay. You know,
(21:25):
ask them what they're excited about, asking what they're what's
new in their life, asking what their challenges are because
a lot of times the people that say I'm okay
or the people that are struggling the most. So just
be real, intentional how you check in on your people.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
You're a good ag man. Thanks for doing this, buddy,
we'll talk soon.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
You know you got my number any time, big doll.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
All right, man, Ray Roberts with us on the radio show.
We've got a break with you on some of that.
Plus you may brought us up yesterday. The Apple Cup
is going to get played on a Sunday this year.
Apparently some people are up in arms, and I understand it,
but I'm going to give you a few reasons why
you should like this, by the way. Al right, next
on ninety three three kJ R f M.
Ian Rappaport reporting as well, the market for the Seahawks
new owners could be robust, and then we could see
a price succeed ten billion dollars and could have a
new owner by August. Well, speaking of the Seahawks, joining
us right now on the radio program, former Seahawks offensive
lineman Ray Roberts with OTAs now in the rearview window,
joining us on the radio show Big Ray, how are you, man?
(00:21):
What's going on?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
I'm just chilling, man. Don needed to take a little
break from the action. So I'm down here at my
buddy spot on hook to now for the for the
rest of the week and the weekend, just chilling a
little bit.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Okay, Okay, So the question is are the wives there?
And if not, how much debauchery is going on this weekend?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
There is just me and marcirl here.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
I got you, so no debauchery at all.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
There.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
You're you're you're being a good guy. You're being a
good boy. I love it. I love it. Well, yeah, Ray,
let's uh, let's first of all, because we haven't talked
to you in a while, man, get your thoughts on
everything that's taken place since the Seahawks smacked the Patriots
around at Levi Stadium and Santa Clara a few months ago.
Kenny Walker gone, Kobe Bryant gone, Reek Woolling gone. A
(01:07):
few new names brought in, but for the most part,
a ton of guys off this football team are back
next year. What do you make of the way the
last couple of months have played out since they won
their second Lombardi.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Man, you know what, like if it was just had
they not done what they did last off season when
they got rid of the offensive staff and the starring
quarterback and the starting receiver and they just regrouped and
found the way to win the Super Bowl, I might
be a little bit nervous, but you know they they've
been in this water before and they were able to
(01:39):
navigate it to get to a Super Bowl champion. And
so you're gonna lose players from time to time, especially
in the Super Bowl year like that, maybe you get
a little bit too expensive of what have you. But
I do think that I really trust and what coach
McDonald has created as a coacher and the way they
want to play football and they starting to then it
(02:01):
reminds me of Detroit when Dan Campbell got there, Like
they started to find the types of dudes that kind
of fit the culture that they're trying to build. And
so I feel like, not that those other guys didn't
fit the culture. They just kind of, you know, the
money and just wasn't going to work out for everybody.
But the guys that they brought in I think fit
the culture, even to the point where you often the
coordinator like he was just kind of like a hey,
(02:23):
let's just make sure we're dott and eyes and crossing
the t's, and and he ended up, you know, making
an impression enough with coach McDonald that they went that
way versus hiring from inside.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
They certainly have a great culture, but it's one thing
to win your first Super Bowl championship. How can this
team be as motivated to win a second Super Bowl championship.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Well, the thing that helps is that everyone is still
just doubting them, you know, and and the doubt only
lasts for so long. You still have to get out
there and play the games and executing all that stuff.
But I do like the mindset that they have because
they're not looking at it as defending the championship or
they're defending champions because each season has its own history,
(03:06):
and so you have to start fresh. You have different
people coming into the team, different coaches. You got to
make sure that you can maintain the culture that you created. Uh,
that helps you get to the super Bowl. So I
like their mentality and that they're I think their phrases,
we're trying to run it forward, which means that they're
trying to run their culture forward, not you know, rewin
(03:27):
the Super Bowl. And so I like that approach to it.
And so, uh, I'm excited, Like i'd, like I said,
I would have been nervous, you know, but last year
they navigated all that change and found a way to
win a Super Bowl. So I'm excited to see what happens.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Yeah, that just sounds like a corny way of saying
run it back, by the way, or a corny way
of saying, defend our championship. And I get it because
Pete did the same weird stuff when he was here,
by the way, he would take it us.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
The only the only different. The only thing though softy
is like some people say that and it's just coach talk, right,
like the stuff you just throw up on the wall
and like faith, family and football. It's like, okay, that
sounds cool. But uh, but if you're not intentional and
how you build the stuff, then it just becomes word
on the on the wall. But if you listen to
like what coach McDonald did last year with the walk
(04:12):
and talks in the way that they took time letting
guys get to know each other, that was the difference
to me in this team, Like I remember telling our
broadcast team a lot, like man, this team uses the
word connecting us a lot, and then you start watching it.
And then to me, it was solidified when all the
talk was going on about Sam Donol and Ernest Jones said,
you know what he said and uh and that wasn't
(04:35):
locker room talk. That came from a real place and uh.
And so to me, that's the difference. And so that's
why some coaches are super intentional in building culture. Some
coaches just stay it because it sounds great and they
just hope that it's some kind of magic happens.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Now I totally get it. I mean, if it works
behind closed doors, that's all that matters. And for those
that did miss what Ernest Jones said, by the way, uh,
Ray Roberts with us, Ray, did they have any glaring
needs going into the offseason that you felt like they
did not address in free agency or in the draft.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Not that I know of. I mean like that when
I look around, Like obviously, Kobe Bryant to me was
a you know, I love Kobe Bryant because he came
in as a pouted, you know, defensive back. They put
him in the different safety spots and then he was
sharing time, missing time in actor sometimes, but every time
they put him in there, he was ready to go
and ready to play and always make him plays. And
(05:32):
so that kind of play make the ability that he had.
Uh you know, you might miss that a little bit.
But and then with Kenneth Walker, you know, Kenny Walker
finished the season strong, but there was there was some
some things in his game that didn't quite fit the
way that they run the football here and the way
they wanted to run the football. I think Price is
similar to to uh Knine, but he runs a little
(05:52):
bit more downhill, getting his shoulder squatch with a lone
of scrimmage and so you have less of the cutback,
you know, hesitation, that type of stuff. And so I
like the guys that they've added. I don't know if
there's a glaring need that they have. At some point
you got to get a little bit younger in those
edge rushers. But those dudes are at that age are
playing good, productive football, So I'm happy with it.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Well, every team's got a worst starter on their team.
Our good friend Hu Breed Love Millan believes that worst
starter is Anthony Bradford. Do you agree with that? And
how big of an issue is the right guard spot
considering I mean, all they did was use a fifth
round pick on a guard. They didn't do anything high
and they didn't bring in a free agent.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Well, here's the thing is that down the stretch Anthony
Bradford played some really good football. And yeah, you're kind
of find some clips, you know, where he missed the
block or he kind of you know, Mitchley was kind
of disengaged and didn't get things done. But the other
thing that I I want to say, maybe halfway through
the season, I did a show with the show that
(06:56):
Bumpus does on Thursdays. I filled him for Paul Morier
and we interviewed him and the thing that was really
interesting is that how not immature as in like a
person immature, but the growth that he needed to have
happened as a football player, and he starts thinking about
all the different coach off of the line coaches he's
had since he's been in the league, the different systems
(07:17):
he's had since he's been in the league. It's really
hard to grow in that because you're always constantly trying
to learn what you should supposed to be doing enough
that then you can then be mature in it. And
that was the first time I kind of heard that
from him, and he was pretty vulnerable about it. He's like, yeah,
like he's like, I have a lot of growing to do,
but I've gone through like five, three or four whatever
it is offensive line coaches. Every offensive line coach has
(07:38):
a slightly different way that they coach the technique and
those types of things, and so you know, it takes
a you know, maybe takes him a little bit of
time to get into it. So I'm not as down
on Anthony Bradford, but it's always good to bring in
some competition to kind of push him. I think both Stevens,
you know, could be a guy that does that. I
don't know. He's not the most fleet of foot type
of dude, but he's a very strong, power, powerful run blocker,
(08:01):
which you know, teams normally are right handed when they
run the football, and so they tend to run to
the right more. So you know, he could maybe, you
know in some of those guys they drafted last year,
could create some competition for him. But I think if
someone spits the top, I'm not gonna lie. He's a
dude that if they said, hey, Ray, can you come
and work with this guy just on his mental approach
to the game, I would love to do it because
he has all the talent and stuff in the world.
(08:22):
He just needs to figure out a way to stay
locked in for four quarters and not for three and
a half.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
You're talking Bradford you'd work with right, Yeah, okay, so
well let's let's dive into that then for a second.
That's interesting, Ray roberts with us. If Anthony Bradford did
call you and say, hey, can I get you for
a couple hours, right, come down to v Mac. Let's
hit the field. Yeah, hit the facility. Give us. I'm
actually curious about this. Give us in detail if you
(08:48):
can a couple of things that you'd talk to with
him about or do do with them.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Yeah, Well, one of the things would just be like
his mental approach to the game. My rookie year, I
had kind of like an up and down season. I
started to sleezing, kind of slow. I finish it, you know,
pretty strong. But for the first time ever in my
football life, I was like, Man, these dudes over here
can really play, you know that, Like these guys can
(09:13):
get after the quarterback. And so no one had ever
beat me in stuff like that, And so then I
had to figure out a way how do I deal
with it. If a guy gets past me, I'll give
up a sack or a hit or whatever. How do
I deal with that for the next play, because I
would let it impact me for like the next two
or three plays. And so I met with this sports
psychologist and so this is where I got the whole
idea around every play has its own history, Every game
(09:37):
has his own history. Because if you get stuck in
ben either having a bad play, then it kind of
takes a strike at your confidence. So now you're question
yourself the next time you get to the line of scrimmage.
If you have a successful play, you can be over
confident going to the line of scrimmage. And so I
had these three things I would tell myself after every
single play after my rookie year, whether it was a
(09:57):
good play, bad play, or somewhere in between, and it
was I'm good enough, I'm prepared, trusted. That was the
way I reset myself every single play so that every
play has its own history. And that would be the
type of thing I would ask him, like what is
he thinking about, like when he's had a good play,
when he's had a bad play, how does he reset
himself after each play to kind of go back to
the line of scrimmage, How do you prepare? Like what
(10:19):
are you looking at? Like when I first came into
the league, I would watch film. It was like I
was watching a football game. It's just like I didn't
know what to do. I didn't know what I was studying,
but I should be studying like all these different things.
And Edwin Bailey and Ethan Jacob Green, they sat down
with men like, you know, look at these different things,
different situations. Where do you are on the field if
it's second and long, third and short, it's it's the
(10:41):
first order of the fourth quarters, before halftime, starting the
third quarter, all these different types of things that they
would kind of teach me to look for they kind
of kept you engaged in the game.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Now that's good stuff. Man. Well, Ray just following up
on that, Ray Roberts with us. I mean, one of
the biggest subtractions may prove to be Clint Kopiak, who's
now the head coach of the Raiders, and Brian's Flurry's
coming in here. And remember we had Brian on the
air when he was hired, and he basically was saying
on the air, look, I need to figure out how
much I need to change and versus how much they
(11:10):
need to change, or how much we're gonna meet in
the middle. If you're Brian Flurry, how much do you
want to kind of disrupt the Apple card here or
just jump on board and keep the train moving just
like Kubiak did.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Well, I think they get the get the best out
of him. I think that whatever meet in the middle
or you know, it's his Uh. If it's if they
got a car to Apples that are you know, pretty
going pretty good, then maybe we just put some Kramel
on top of the apples, you know what I'm saying.
So and so whatever his little tweak to it, I
think you got to let him do that. Otherwise he's
not the guy that you hired. You hired him for
(11:46):
a reason, you know, and so you have to allow
what his vision is to be part of it without
totally disrupting what you were doing. So it sounds like
that's what they got. When you listen to coach McDonald,
he said he uses the same type of mentality and
approach to the game. He just uses different words that
he said. So there's kind of speaking the same language.
But there is gonna be a nuance and some of
(12:08):
it maybe it's situational, maybe it's personnel type stuff. Maybe
he's more aggressive in different parts of the field than
they were last year, that type of thing. But uh,
but I can't. I don't think you can hire a
person or even bringing a player and then and then
handcuff them, uh and say, you know, like we don't
we don't want you to be who we thought you were.
You know, you got to let them be who they are.
And so I do think there's going to be some
(12:30):
meet in the middle, But it doesn't sound like there's
going to be such a big meat in the middle
that there's going to be a huge change what they do.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Right Ray Roberts joining us, They invested long term in
bolt tackles. They're going into their fifty or each one
of them. Have they peaked out, have they reached their peak,
or are there's still things that they can get significantly
better at.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Yeah, I think, Uh, the thing with Charles call Us
is Charles I don't know if you guys, I'm not
a big pro football focused dude, but if you want
to use it at metrics, when he started the season
last year, he was grading out at some of the
highest scores ever at offensive time, like he was really
leading the charge on the left tackle spot with the
(13:10):
with his grades and things, and then he tends to
kind of fade a little bit. And so some of
it is like that whole you know, a little bit
of Bradford like this. You have to be able to
stay focused and dominant for the whole season, not for
two thirds or three quarters or seven eighths. It has
to be the whole season. And so there are still
parts of the run blocking that I think he can
(13:31):
be better at. Uh. Sometimes in the pass protection he
gets a little bit high when a guy uses a
speed the power, so it looks like he's gonna speed
around the corner. Then his power into him and driving
back to the quarterback. So I think some of those
little things I think you need to be at. Other
than that, I think he's to me, he's one of
the top, you know, fifteen or so left tackles in
the league. And then Abe is just a matter of
(13:53):
just staying healthy and getting back into it. Like when
Abe is a very strong minded person, a strong willed person,
and a strong do altogether. But even last year, I
was like, man, why did he have that big net
role thing on, you know, because it made him like
less athletic, But it seemed like something was going on
and they wanted to wear that thing. So hopefully he
(14:13):
can get his whole body right and get a you know,
he played the whole season, which was great, right, but
that he's still good for all he has. I think
that they still both have space to grow in their position.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Well, you think about where he came from, Ray Ray
Roberts with us giving up that sack to boast of
the strip sack against the Niners in the first game
of the year and then kind of really took off
from that point. It felt like, but Ray Roberts with
us on the air and Ray, I'm just curious your
take on Donald because there are still some people out
there that don't want to put Donald in that top five,
top six, or seven category. Well, this team's all about defense.
(14:44):
They got a great lie, they got good receivers, and
Donald's just kind of a guy. I mean, what do
you say to people that are still not willing to
give Sam Darnald a ton of credits for what happened
a year ago?
Speaker 2 (14:58):
You know what, I'll be honest with you. Probably took
me about a little past half of the season to
be on the Sam Donald prem Like I just I
just was not really ready to say, like I'm all
in yet. Uh, but he proved to me that you know,
he can. This dude makes some incredible throws. Obviously had
too many turnovers and those types of things, and he's in.
(15:21):
He won games at the time when people were saying
there were big games and then all of a sudden,
the you know, the season changes and in that game
ended up not being so big. So they keep moving
the goal post on him, and that's the thing that's
that's tough if you're if you pay attention to that
kind of thing. But to me, it sounds as if
he has the backing of the team. And I'm not
(15:41):
just saying like the offensive guys and the receivers and
offensive coordinator, but I'm also talking about the defense. He
just played the clip from Ernest Jones, you know, and
like like Ernest Jones and that answer, that question could
have given you a locker room answer like, Hey, we're
gonna support our quarterback and you know, he's our guy,
We're gonna ride with him. Like that's just kind of
like giving you the standard of out of that. But
he came from a place where he like that was
(16:02):
real talk. You don't just say that about someone in
the locker room if you don't really think that about him.
And so as long as he has the locker room,
unless he gets caught up into all that nonsense, it
doesn't really matter, you know, if he if if they're
going to give you the credit or not. The dude
has a Super Bowl, So I would just tell him
to go do whatever they gotta do, you know what
I'm saying, Like I don't want to use Erniest Jones words,
(16:23):
but but but nah, I like Sam Darnold's you know,
doing the show with Bumpus and and uh Brian Walters
and they always point out a lot of times like
the ball is catching the receiver, like he sows he can,
he can put the ball in places that not a
lot of guys can and uh and I even think
(16:45):
when he decides to run the ball on scrambles sometimes
it makes him even more dangerous. And so not that
he's like Russell Wilson or anybody like that, but there's
been times where he got outside the pocket, could have
maybe picked up five or six yards and then maybe
try to make a throw he couldn't make or couldn't
make it, turn the ball over, but he could just
don't get those five to six yards, line up and
do it again. And so he did a little bit
(17:05):
more of that now. So I think him managing the game,
understanding how he fits in with the offense, understanding the
weapons that you have around him, and letting them do
the stuff I think would be much better this year,
especially to turn over space.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Let's compare this team to the Rams.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Who's got the better roster?
Speaker 3 (17:20):
And how would you feel if you were a Rams
fan and they use their first round draft pick on
a guy that they hope doesn't play a snap next year?
Speaker 2 (17:29):
Right? Yeah, you know what? The thing is and I
did the podcast with Mitch during the season and we
had this battle all year long. And I do think
that probably up all the way up and down the roster,
you know, if you went man for man or however
you rank it. I think the Rams probably have the
better roster, but that doesn't mean they have the best teams.
(17:51):
And I think people confuse it too, and to me,
the Seahawks have the best team. If you think about it,
the Seahawks are three plays away from being under feed
it like they bumble the ball against the forty nine
ers when it looks like they're probably gonna score right
there and maybe win the probably win the game if
they don't get the ball piped when Sam was trying
(18:12):
to throw it away against Tampa Bay and it got
intercepted into the game. And then if they get three
or four more yards against the Rams and uh down
in LA, they kick the field go to win the game.
So this three plays, they were that close to being undefeated,
an undefeated team, and so a lot of to me,
this difference between the Seahawks and those guys, And this
(18:32):
is why I think this is the most important thing
this off season, is re capturing the culture that they had, Right,
That's that's the hardest thing. You get new people, people
playing different roles. You know, every some people may have
gotten a little bit more money. So you got to
manage all that stuff to make sure that they're still
bought into the culture. Because if the coachure gets out
of whack, then the then the connectedness is different. And uh.
(18:55):
And so that's why each season, each off season is
just a it's on history. And so I think to
me that that's the biggest thing they have to manage
is that piece. And if they can do that, I
think they're the best team. They may not have the
best roster, but they have the best team. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
Well, they lost three games last year by a combined
nine points Ray Ray Roberts with us, and that was
the lowest point differential combined in any losses in Seahawk history.
They literally never came that close to winning every game
before in the history of their franchise. So you're exactly right.
But hey, dude, before you go Ray Roberts with Us
(19:29):
on the radio show, do the players care who the
next owner is. There's a report that came out today
the team may go for ten billions in a billion
and we could have a new owner by August. Do
the players care? You think inside that locker room? Is
that something that you'd be watching if you were a
current player?
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Yeah, I think so, just because of my and would
come into the locker room and talk to the players
and not no names and all this other kind of stuff.
And so that does have like I think you have
to be aware of it, especially in this day and
age two, with the money being so big and the
the visibility and all that kind of stuff, you have
to have at least, you know, you got to take
a peek at it and make sure that you're kind
(20:07):
of understanding who's coming to run the team and how
that's going to impact you know, maybe your career or
how they make decisions and those types of things. I
wouldn't invest like too much time stressing over because a
lot of it is out of your control. But but
I would I would spend some time wanting to know,
you know, who's going to own the team, and and
especially if my content like JSN probably is not worried
(20:27):
you just oign a new contract. But if I'm gonna
do this, like about you know, up for a contract
another year or two. Yeah, I'd probably pay attention to that.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
Ray Roberts, you're the man. Great stuff. Enjoy the weekend
with a lady and we will talk soon, buddy. Appreciate
this bell.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Yeah, before I go, can I just say, like, May
is mental health Awareness month. Yeah, I'm a big mental
health advocate, and so if you it's okay to not
be okay. If you need help, you know, reach out
to your your medical provider for some assistance. And when
you need help, you ask for help. You're operating from
a position of power. So if you need people to
(21:04):
come into your school, your business, whatever it is to
talk about mental health, I'm that dude, and just reach
out to me on social media whatever. I've done about
six keynotes this season this year so far. And so
take care of yourself and take care of the people
that you love. If you ask somebody how they're doing
and they say okay, don't leave it at okay. You know,
(21:25):
ask them what they're excited about, asking what they're what's
new in their life, asking what their challenges are because
a lot of times the people that say I'm okay
or the people that are struggling the most. So just
be real, intentional how you check in on your people.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
You're a good ag man. Thanks for doing this, buddy,
we'll talk soon.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
You know you got my number any time, big doll.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
All right, man, Ray Roberts with us on the radio show.
We've got a break with you on some of that.
Plus you may brought us up yesterday. The Apple Cup
is going to get played on a Sunday this year.
Apparently some people are up in arms, and I understand it,
but I'm going to give you a few reasons why
you should like this, by the way. Al right, next
on ninety three three kJ R f M.
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