00:00But, Joe, a move that really solidified a shift in Super Bowl favorite status
00:05was Trent McDuffie going from Kansas City, the young cornerback, to L.A.
00:10He has since found himself with a brand-new record-breaking extension
00:16as a member of the Rams.
00:18They've actually continued to pick off another Chiefs cornerback
00:22within their ranks here.
00:24On the Rams' side of this, Joe, how do you feel about the move?
00:27Very good.
00:28Think about the Rams at the second part of the season, Kev, right?
00:31First part of the season, we were handling this defense as potentially one of the best
00:36in the NFL.
00:37In the second half of the season, they got abused early and often,
00:41especially as it relates to the passing attack.
00:43McDuffie is a lockdown corner.
00:45He can play bump-and-run coverage.
00:47He's man-to-man.
00:48He's great in run support as well.
00:50And he's opportunistic, always around the football.
00:53So if L.A. is going to make that next step to potentially win an NFC championship
00:58and get back to the Super Bowl, they need a healthy McDuffie.
01:02I think it's a great signing for them.
01:04I think he elevates this defense now that had some concerns.
01:09I thought they were a little suspect in the secondary against better competition.
01:13We saw Detroit.
01:15We saw Seattle abuse them in the passing attack.
01:18McDuffie solidifies this defense.
01:21And now, if this offense can hum, they're going to be right there in the NFC, Kev.
01:27So, it's tough for me.
01:29The Rams are obviously going to be in the mix.
01:35But, Joe, that was not a cheap Trent McDuffie, right?
01:40I don't think there was a discount.
01:42And, hey, we have to pay him too.
01:44I mean, they paid him, again, record-breaking money
01:47and had to part ways with a first-round draft pick
01:50and a little bit more on top of that.
01:52But, I don't think it was a great deal, right?
01:57We'll get to the Kansas City side of it.
01:59I think everything is being covered with
02:00who cares the Rams are going to be set up to win at a really high level.
02:05I think it's on the board, at least, Joe,
02:08that the Rams could almost, you know, have missed their moment.
02:14I am not going to forget that last season,
02:17one of the reasons you were able to get pretty good preseason numbers
02:21on Los Angeles was concern around Matthew Stafford's health.
02:25Stafford had a fully healthy season.
02:28I don't think that means those concerns go away.
02:31I know they do in the market, right?
02:33I know they do in a lot of people's analysis.
02:36I think that that creates vulnerability.
02:39And I, from a booking perspective, Los Angeles, as the favorites, makes sense.
02:46I am not going to sit here and tell you the books are out of their mind.
02:50But it's 7-1.
02:52Not that people are running to bet, you know, Super Bowl futures in March,
02:55but, Joe, just to give us a frame of reference.
02:58That's a lunacy bet to me for Los Angeles right now.
03:03They are very talented, but I'm not sure just, oh, we now have the Chiefs' secondary, right?
03:11Is a fix enough?
03:13One, and I don't know if the offense, first of all, will be able to stay healthy.
03:18But also, Joe, they were somewhat historic last year.
03:22I mean, it was a prolific offense.
03:23Because Stafford getting worse, not better, is the favorite, in my opinion.
03:29So, for Los Angeles, very, very talented.
03:33I am not waving the flag as much as others are that this is some Grand Slam situation.
03:41They might as well already send the Lombardi trophy to L.A.
03:47No, no, I'm with you on that.
03:49And, again, did they catch lightning in a bottle with Stafford?
03:53And what I mean by that is because you and I, in the offseason last year at this time,
03:57were very hesitant due to the net concerns, right?
04:00It's almost, they could pop up at any given time.
04:03Just because he went through a 17-game regular season in the playoffs
04:07doesn't mean he can't aggravate it at some point in the offseason
04:11or leading up, you know, to a playoff run.
04:14That's always on the table.
04:15But when you look at this team, it's basically set up for this season, right?
04:21Meaning the McDuffie signing isn't for, hey, two, three years down the road.
04:26McDuffie signing this year is, hey, we need him as the cherry on top
04:32to potentially win an NFC championship.
04:34And if we can't get there this year, then we'll blow it up
04:37or then we'll have a secondary option.
04:39So that's the way I look at it.
04:42Do I buy into L.A. being the legitimate contender?
04:45Yeah, I think they're a very good team.
04:47But with you, I'm not banking on right here, right now in the month of March
04:52that I'm running to the window to bet Matt Stafford and Sean McVay.
04:56Let's not forget, San Francisco looks to be healthier.
04:59We don't know about Philadelphia, the moves that they're going to make, right?
05:03With new OC and DC, there's going to be new offensive, defensive philosophies around.
05:10So my point is, yes, on paper, L.A. is the team, and they made this move,
05:16and now they're at 7-1.
05:18But that doesn't mean by any stretch they're a slam dunk
05:22to be the NFC championship title winners at the end of the year.
05:26I'm a little hesitant on that.
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