00:00Big news to Tyrone. The Vegas Raiders have found a veteran quarterback to hold for Fernando Mendoza's hands
00:07when he becomes the first overall draft pick in a couple weeks in the NFL draft.
00:12That guy's name is Kirk Cousins. Now, the big question is going to be, does Kirk Cousins start for the
00:18Raiders?
00:19And this is going to be a Tom Brady decision, I would imagine, as a co-owner of the team.
00:23Do you have him start the first couple games, let Mendoza kind of figure out the NFL lifestyle?
00:29You know what it takes to be an NFL quarterback? Or if you're drafting Mendoza first overall, Mendoza's the guy
00:35and you just have Kirk Cousins to be a veteran backup and to be a teacher.
00:39I'm of the ilk, and I'm not sure your take on it, that I throw the baby right into the
00:44deep end.
00:47Let's see if you can swim. We know you're going to struggle. We know it's going to be a tough
00:51first year
00:51because it is for most rookie quarterbacks outside of Jane Daniels and C.J. Stroud.
00:55They had struggles in their second year, interestingly enough, as opposed to their rookie seasons.
01:00But now you've got Kirk Cousins and you've got Fernando Mendoza sharing their prayer room together in Las Vegas,
01:07hoping that the football gods will bestow upon them just one win. Just one win.
01:13That's all they want. Just give us one.
01:16And then worry about number two. But if you're in charge of the Raiders,
01:19and Mendoza had a terrific pro day yesterday, just reconfirming that he's the guy,
01:23do you start Kirk Cousins and let the young whippersnapper watch and learn?
01:27And then somewhere down the line, you say, OK, week whatever, we're going to now play the kid?
01:32Or do you come out of the gate playing the kid with Kirk Cousins backing him up?
01:36Well, I agree with you in theory, but I'm a big believer that it has to be based on your
01:40offensive line.
01:41And they didn't block very well for Gino Smith. Now, Gino stunk, but they didn't block.
01:46If you feel good about your offensive line, I throw the kid right in.
01:48If I have some question marks, I wait a little bit, get that line solidified with a veteran back there.
01:55And then I put him in. The one thing, the only, there seems to be no data on starting or
02:00waiting as far as success.
02:01But the offensive line being banned early usually dooms quarterbacks.
02:05And that's the one I want to watch.
02:07Yeah, look, he's going to struggle regardless, but I'm with you.
02:10You know, you put a kid in there and talks about the speed of the game is the hardest thing
02:14for a rookie quarterback,
02:15which is why there's usually a biggest leap from year one to year two, as opposed to any other year
02:19to year progress in a quarterback.
02:22And I'm with you. If their offensive line and they're the worst offensive line of football last year,
02:26Gino Smith was sacked 55 times, which was, you know, led the NFL.
02:29And he has to eat some of it, but certainly not all of it because that line was so bad.
02:34Would you rather have a bad offensive line protecting a immobile veteran quarterback in his mid to late 30s?
02:41Because at least he knows the game and will know how to get rid of the ball.
02:44Or would you rather have a bad offensive line protecting a kid that theoretically should at least be able to,
02:50you know,
02:51athletically get out of the pocket more than the near 40 year old.
02:54I'd probably say I'm with you on that, that if the offensive line is not any better,
02:59then I want to start the veteran quarterback.
03:02Just let Mendoza see the game a little bit.
03:04But if you, if push came to shove and I had to pick one, I always pick playing the kid.
03:10Cause the only way to learn how to play is to play.
03:13And as much as you can learn from watching film and having a veteran voice in your ear,
03:17which I do think is important.
03:18You don't know if you could do it till you do it.
03:21And we don't know if you can do it till you do it.
03:23And whether that's Shadur Sanders in Cleveland or that was Eli Manning starting behind Kurt Warner in New York,
03:29you know, 25 years ago, it helps to watch.
03:33Yes.
03:34But you got to go out there and play because it ain't college anymore.
03:38This isn't being the Indiana quarterback.
03:40This is grown men coming to hurt you at a speed you've never seen before.
03:47So I would play the kid out of the gate and use Kirk Cousins as a veteran backup.
03:52So if it does become overwhelming or if the kid's just totally out of his mind and can't read a
03:57defense and can't run an offense,
03:59at least the other veterans on the team know, all right, don't sweat it.
04:03We're going to bring this kid along.
04:05But we have a veteran backup that's competent, that's going to play competent football because you do have a responsibility
04:12to the other 52 guys in that locker room that you put our best team forward.
04:16And there's no debating the fact that on day one, the Raiders are a better team with Kirk Cousins than
04:22with Mendoza as their starting quarterback.
04:24Right.
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