00:00Time to shine on football. OTAs are in full swing around the league. Draft picks are working out with vets,
00:05free agent signings, traded players, meeting their new teammates. It's Christmas in May. Let's whip around camps, read between the
00:12lines of the chatter, starting with Matthew Stafford talking about his new understudy in L.A.
00:19Yeah, no doubt. I think my job first and foremost is to get myself and our team ready to play
00:24as best I possibly can. He's a part of that team. There's no question about it. We're in a unique
00:27position in the fact that we play the same position. I have a ton of experience and he's just now
00:31starting his journey as an NFL player. So listen, I know he's going to watch not only me, but other
00:37guys, you know, and Stetson has been around a little bit too and really just soak up as much coaching
00:41as he possibly can. He's a guy that asks questions. I've been trying to answer those as honestly and as
00:45thoroughly as I possibly can.
00:47He's a smart kid. He's got talent, obviously. He's, you know, a high draft pick. So I'm happy to add
00:52good players to our team. He's one of them. But my job is, you know, go out there and get
00:59myself and our team as ready to play as I possibly can.
01:02Listen, I'm obsessed with that and not surprised. Matthew Stafford putting on a clinic on how to handle drafting the
01:09next franchise quarterback for the L.A. Rams. And listen, I'm obsessed. And that right there, that's how you do
01:16it.
01:16You put out a fire before you even start it, right? Also, let's be clear here, right? It's like buying
01:22a, your wife, if you know you're in trouble, you know, a shiny, expensive piece of jewelry.
01:27They made sure in L.A. to give Matthew Stafford a brand new contract to make sure there were no
01:32hard feelings, right?
01:34And Stafford wants to win. And I'm sure he wanted Makai Lemon, obviously. But it didn't happen. That, that's in
01:42the past. Now it's about what are the Rams going to do moving forward?
01:46And I think this is everything here for Los Angeles because the L.A. Rams had an unbelievable offseason. So
01:53if you're Stafford, if you're a Rams fan, you could be confused.
01:56You could be upset about Ty Simpson. Why is he here? Could have had a weapon. That conversation will be
02:04real during the regular season.
02:05If, in fact, they need a big play at the wide receiver position. And obviously, if Lemon's making plays in
02:11Philadelphia. Like, it's not dead and buried yet in any way, shape, or form.
02:15But how do you ultimately silence that conversation? You win. You win big. And when you take a breath, Rams
02:24are the best team.
02:25And they're the literal favorites in Vegas to go out and win the Super Bowl. To me, barring anything unforeseen,
02:33they'll be my pick.
02:35I mean, right now, I'm looking at the Rams and the Cowboys as the top two teams in the NFC.
02:42So, Stafford is, you know, 38, turning 39 the week before the Super Bowl in Los Angeles. No reason to
02:48think he's slowing down.
02:49Puga Naku is back. Devontae Adams. Offensive line is strong. Two-headed monster running back. Defense is vastly improved. See
02:57a problem, fix a problem.
02:58The DBs, you know, couldn't stop Jackson Smith-Ajigua. Bam! Less need. Adds Trent McDuffie, among others, in the defensive
03:05backfield.
03:05So, I think that Stafford, his first public comments since the selection of Simpson, phenomenal.
03:12And not a surprise. He's the MVP, he's the epitome of class, and he knows how to make sure that
03:18everyone is focused on the singular goal of going out and winning another Super Bowl in L.A.
03:24To the Ravens camp. Lamar remains his longtime coach. John Harbaugh is a giant. So, how does Lamar feel about
03:31that? He was asked.
03:33I mean, you know, I got a lot of respect for Coach. So, me just saying that, man, it was,
03:38I was shocked, you know, in a way, in a sense.
03:42But, I feel like, you know, Mr. Steve, he did what was best for the team. And, you know, I
03:48hope coaches have a great, great time in New York, man.
03:50Hats off the coach. We did so much for the city, for the team, for this organization. Hats off to
03:57him in New York, and we built a lot. We did a lot here.
04:01Terrific stuff from Lamar Jackson yesterday. I thought he put on a clinic on how to handle that. And I
04:06also know, and I've interviewed Lamar a lot. That's very genuine. First of all, John Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson won
04:15a ton of games.
04:16And they will always be in the story for both of them and the Ravens attached, right? I also think,
04:23and if you're a Giants fan, you're thrilled you have John Harbaugh.
04:26And he's, you know, got a Hall of Fame resume, an adult in a room. I also think it was
04:30the right time to cut the cord in Baltimore. I do.
04:33I mean, he was there for close to two decades, and the last few years were, you know, not smooth
04:39sailing. We know how it ended. They didn't make the playoffs last year, and it was time to move on.
04:44And sometimes in sports, that's just how it is. I think this benefits the Giants, and I think it benefits
04:50the Baltimore Ravens. And Jesse Minter is a stud, and Lamar talked about that.
04:55He's a great young defensive coach who was in Baltimore under Harbaugh. I think it's terrific. I think it's terrific
05:02for everyone involved. Now, I do think that Baltimore, and, you know, you get past, I don't even consider the
05:09whole Crosby stuff anymore, and they brought in Trey, and they kept their draft pick, and they're going to start
05:13an offensive lineman.
05:14I think the Ravens have a really good team, and with Lamar Jackson, a healthy Lamar Jackson, you're always going
05:21to find a way to win a ton of games.
05:25I'm not quite ready yet to put the Ravens in the Buffalo Bills or put them in even the Cincinnati
05:34Bengals category when it comes to the elite teams when you look at it in the AFC.
05:40I'm not there yet. I currently, and again, we don't lock in playoff teams until after Labor Day. Right now,
05:48I would absolutely have Baltimore in the playoffs.
05:51I might have them third place in their division making the playoffs. I might structure it Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Baltimore with
05:58all three double-digit wins and all three making the playoffs.
06:01So, I thought Jackson handled that incredibly well. I never get bent out of shape if a player doesn't show
06:09up at the offseason program.
06:11You know, people are like, oh, rip Aaron Rodgers if he's not. I've never done that. Never done that.
06:16No one rips Justin Herbert for hanging out with Madison Beer, and why not? I mean, who wouldn't?
06:22I just, Lamar wasn't there early? Great. I don't get worked up about that.
06:26But the fact that he was there yesterday and said what he said, that mattered to me.
06:31And I thought Lamar put on a master class of how to handle post-Harbaugh and now the present and
06:38the future here with Jesse Minter.
06:41Patty's back. It's been a quiet offseason for Patrick Mahomes, and he finally got in front of a camera and
06:47told us that he's ready to get back on the field.
06:52As a competitor, I want to be out there with my guys, but I know that's still a long ways
06:56away.
06:57And so, all I can do is just execute the day and do whatever I can to be better that
07:00day.
07:01And so, we've done that up until now, and we've kind of set these checkpoints and these goals of where
07:06I want to be at, and I've gotten to those.
07:07And so, now I've got to continue to do that at the right pace.
07:10I'm going to give myself a chance, by the way I work, to be the best I can be.
07:16And so, I'm in a good spot now compared to where some people thought, but I thought I was going
07:21to be here.
07:22So, it's just doing what I'm supposed to do every single day, and then hopefully that gives me the chance
07:26to be out there with the guys whenever we start the season.
07:30Look, the fact that Patrick Mahomes, who shredded his knee, right, like we're talking ACL, we're talking PCL, the fact
07:37that he's practicing in late May, and he's on the field, and you see the brace on his left leg
07:44right there, and he's wearing the compression as well.
07:47I mean, this, this is inspiring.
07:50And not that I need to remind you, but, you know, Patrick Mahomes has had a couple of relatively quiet
07:57seasons, right?
07:58Patrick Mahomes is still Patrick Mahomes.
08:01My opinion, the last 50 years in the NFL, he's still the second-best quarterback after Tom Brady.
08:06Patrick Mahomes, and I live for Josh Allen, and Josh Allen is Paul Bunyan and Nolan Ryan and John Elway
08:12rolled into one.
08:13Patrick Mahomes is still Patrick Mahomes, and that's the ultimate compliment.
08:18And the fact that he's out there and healthy and running around and there's no setbacks, well, that kind of
08:23changes everything, right?
08:25That changes the entire map on the Kansas City Chiefs.
08:28And I, I think this is inspiring here.
08:32And, you know, we kind of got on the league for putting Kansas City in prime time week one and
08:38week two against Denver and Indy, respectively, because of the, I don't know, quotient with Patrick Mahomes.
08:45I mean, no one wants to see a backup quarterback play in a window of exclusivity.
08:50But I thought this was a pretty big deal.
08:52I truly did.
08:53And as long as everything is moving in the right direction here and there are no setbacks, how great is
09:01it for the league?
09:01And how sweet would it be to see Patrick Mahomes under center?
09:06He's handing it off to Kenneth Walker, his new running back.
09:10I mean, this, this is inspiring, right?
09:12Like, if you're, if you're a football junkie, if you're a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs, I mean, this
09:19will get you going in the month of May here.
09:21My home's light years ahead of schedule.
09:25And look, in terms of work ethic and focus, you know, he's, he's Jordan-esque.
09:31He's Kobe-esque when it comes to attacking this kind of rehab, right?
09:36So I think this is pretty awesome.
09:38We need to make sure we pay this off here in terms of work ethic and dedication and sheer genius
09:44on the gridiron.
09:45To Vikings camp.
09:46Will the real Minnesota quarterback please stand up, no matter how tall you are?
09:54It's been great.
09:55It's been great.
09:56Obviously, I know he's a younger guy.
09:58So any, any way I can help him, obviously, I feel like, you know, I've played seven years now going
10:01on eight.
10:03So I'm considered a veteran, even though I don't see myself as that.
10:05Give him any knowledge that he needs.
10:08Again, you know, we're both competitors and I know, you know, we both won what's best for the team.
10:13Is he been receptive to hearing criticism?
10:15Of course, of course.
10:16Yeah, he's, no, he's overly acceptive, you know, and he's, he's always communicating, asking questions, stuff like that.
10:21So it's been good.
10:22JJ, what's your relationship been like with Kyler so far?
10:25You know, it's just like two guys in a classroom.
10:28You know, he sits on one side, I sit on the other side.
10:30And it's the coach's responsibility to teach us and coach us, so.
10:34Is there any awkwardness, like, between you two?
10:38Awkwardness, you know, it's just like the same feeling, you know, when you're in high school and there's another person
10:43on the other side of the room.
10:44That's just kind of how it is.
10:45So I wouldn't say there's any awkwardness.
10:47It's like Kyler and JJ McCarthy are in two different universes right there.
10:51I mean, what, what are we talking about?
10:55So, a couple of things, right?
10:56And I loved JJ McCarthy at Michigan, and I loved the draft pick.
11:02Let me say that out loud on record.
11:04Then he got hurt, shredded his knee, couldn't take a snap even in practice, let alone a game as a
11:09rookie.
11:10That's a setback.
11:11What the Vikings did, and I got, of course, the documents that the general manager fired last year at the
11:15quarterback position
11:16was the single worst example of how to treat the most important position in sports in the history of the
11:22NFL.
11:22You had your quarterback at Sam Darnold.
11:25You let him go.
11:25Yeah, Daniel Jones, let him go.
11:27Aaron Rodgers wanted to sign there.
11:28Ah, we're good.
11:30Trade him for Sam Howell.
11:31Here's JJ McCarthy.
11:32Here's Carson Wentz.
11:33And what a surprise.
11:35A disaster.
11:37And if you listen to McCarthy right there, what are we doing?
11:41Seriously.
11:42And Kyler Murray just spoke like a 15-year vet.
11:45Far cry from the guy who once needed a clause in his contract that he would not play video games
11:51and study X amount of hours of film.
11:53You know, Call of Duty used to be his calling card.
11:56I think Kyler Murray needs every single rep with Justin Jefferson.
11:59I think he needs to be getting the reps with the first team, offensive line, with Jefferson, with Jordan Addison,
12:07with Jawan Jennings, who they smartly brought in as a free agent from San Francisco.
12:12Why are we messing around in Minnesota?
12:14I think the Minnesota Vikings have a golden opportunity to be a surprise team and make the playoffs.
12:20They have a terrific head coach who's a quarterback whisperer.
12:23Kyler signed a one-year deal, which is perfect because he's going to work his ass off.
12:27You're going to get the best version of Kyler Murray.
12:30And obviously, look at someone like Kevin O'Connell.
12:32He is a quarterback whisperer, a quarterback guru.
12:35So, just stop the insanity.
12:39J.J. McCarthy, you thought he was a guy.
12:41You fired the general manager who messed the whole thing up.
12:44Just let Kyler cook.
12:46Let him do his thing.
12:49Just stop the nonsense.
12:51Stop the fight.
12:52J.J. McCarthy doesn't know which way is up.
12:55It's over.
12:56It's done.
12:58Name Kyler Murray the starting quarterback.
13:00Let him walk like the starter.
13:02Act like the starter.
13:03Lead like the starter.
13:05Let him throw the ball downfield.
13:07Skip the chemistry with Justin Jefferson.
13:09Don't put yourself behind the eight ball.
13:11Let Kyler Murray cook.
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