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00:00Ah, yes! Patrick Mahomes will be back on the NFL field this season.
00:04But, as the Chief Dynasty passes by, will Justin Herbert finally turn hype into results?
00:12Are Bo Nix's Broncos being disrespected?
00:17And the Raiders' Mendoza mania is the future brighter than the Vegas lights?
00:24AFC West Preview on Shine Time right now.
00:30Keep it coming, baby.
00:32Don't stop.
00:38Man, I love the AFC West.
00:40The Kansas City Chiefs are the kings of the division for nine consecutive seasons.
00:44That ended last year.
00:46And, you know, who knows what would have happened if Patrick Mahomes didn't get hurt, but he did.
00:51And, honestly, they weren't going to win the division anyway.
00:54And I did not even pick them to win the division.
00:56And I didn't feel like this was going to be Kansas City's year.
00:59And then things got ugly.
01:01The order eliminated Week 15.
01:03And then, obviously, a lot of issues, of course, during the season.
01:08Injury with Mahomes.
01:10Off-season.
01:11A lot going on.
01:12Rasheed Rice.
01:13Travis Kelsey got married.
01:14Don't know if you know that.
01:16Congrats to him and to Taylor Swift.
01:17And we talked about that at length on Shine Time.
01:20So, when you add up everything, the wedding, the additions, the subtractions, the health of the quarterback, are the Chiefs
01:30the team to beat in the AFC West.
01:32Now, we're heading into camp, into training camp.
01:36So, we reserve the right to change our opinion.
01:39And, truth be told, if you are a loyal viewer of Shine Time, and I know that you are, I've
01:45changed my opinion on this division more than any other division, talking about the ebbs and flows and free agency
01:52and the draft and health and injuries than any other division.
01:56Right now, as we speak, I personally think the Chargers enter camp as the best team.
02:05I have Kansas City, number two, the Broncos, number three, and I think the Raiders are going to be a
02:14better-than-expected fourth-place team.
02:18Let's start with Kansas City, favorite to win the division.
02:21Now, when you start looking at it in terms of bets, right, there's only one bet if you believe Patrick
02:32Mahomes is going to start the season.
02:35There's only one bet here that I would feel comfortable making, and that would be the over-on wins.
02:41If Patty's healthy, they win 11 games.
02:44And, Patrick Mahomes just talked to our good friend Carolyn Fenton over at Yahoo Sports, and Patty said he's going
02:50to be ready.
02:51He's on track for week one.
02:53That's where we are right now.
02:55And, you know, when I talk to Ani Bose from the league office, when they put the schedule together, and
03:00they put the Chiefs in prime time, listen, that's the league telling you, right, that they believe Patrick Mahomes is
03:09going to be out there.
03:09Because otherwise, why do you put him in prime time to start the season?
03:12Now, Patrick Mahomes is still Patrick Mahomes, and that means he's going to take every piece of haterate, every doubter,
03:24he's going to look at the injury, and you know he's worked harder than anyone else in the history of
03:29rehabbing from an injury, to make sure he bounces back to achieve that status that he's been at.
03:35And, again, we're talking about Patrick Mahomes, as arguably the last 50 years, I'd call him the second-best quarterback
03:41in NFL history over the last 50 years, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes.
03:45So, assuming he's on track, then I can do nothing here but stress the positive.
03:51Because Andy Reid, to me, is a Mount Rushmore head coach.
03:55He's still phenomenal at what he does in terms of coaching, no-nonsense building from the inside out, the trenches.
04:02You know, you think about, you know, Andy Reid, he's got the Hawaiian shirts, he's eating cheeseburgers in the commercials.
04:08Andy Reid kicks ass and takes names.
04:10And he is all about discipline and offensive line and defensive line, and, you know, Patty absolutely loves him.
04:16And Travis Kelsey still has a lot of gas left in the tank.
04:19And I think that as long as Mahomes is healthy, when you have these guys and you have an interesting
04:27offseason,
04:28you're going to have Patrick Mahomes, at the end of the day, being able to take advantage of his guys.
04:33Kenneth Walker is terrific.
04:36Absolutely tremendous.
04:37Obviously, Super Bowl MVP, always been a fan.
04:40You know, sometimes I felt like I liked him more than the Seahawks liked him.
04:43And that was proof by, you know, letting him go in the offseason.
04:47I thought they crushed the draft and, you know, taking the first-round corner was absolutely huge.
04:53And they had to because of, obviously, who they lost in the offseason.
04:59And let's be crystal clear here, when you trade someone like McDuffie, when Cook and Watson leave as well,
05:08those are monster major holes on defense, which is why, you know, getting, you know,
05:15the first-round corner was absolutely vital when you look at it for Kansas City.
05:20And, you know, they still are brilliantly coached on defense with Steve Spagnuolo.
05:24Obviously, Chris Jones still has a lot of gas left in the tank.
05:27Now, I think that if you look at the additions and subtractions, clearly they're worse on defense.
05:33I don't think there's any question about that.
05:35But when you add Kenneth Walker to the mix with Patrick Mahomes, you still have Chris Jones chasing down quarterbacks.
05:41Look, as long as Mahomes is healthy, you have to believe that this team has enough to ultimately make the
05:50playoffs.
05:51That's where I'm at right now.
05:52And, again, I don't think they're going to be great.
05:54Right now, going into training camp, and I think Kenneth Walker was a huge addition,
05:59I have Kansas City as the seventh-best team in the AFC.
06:03That means they make the playoffs.
06:04I think it's the Chargers' time to shine.
06:07We've spent a whole offseason talking about the Rams being the team to play in the L.A. Super Bowl.
06:12In theory, we should be talking about an All-L.A. Super Bowl in L.A.
06:15That should be the topic for conversation.
06:18The Chargers are loaded.
06:20The Chargers are brilliantly coached.
06:22The Chargers should be able to win the division.
06:25I'm going to pick them right now to win the division.
06:27Okay?
06:28That's the prediction as we speak.
06:31I love the bet of taking the Chargers to win 10 or more games.
06:36Justin Herbert?
06:37I've never won a playoff game.
06:38Justin Herbert, the Houston playoff game two years ago, was atrocious.
06:42The New England playoff game?
06:44Awful.
06:45Now, Herbert did a great job during the regular season with his entire offensive line banged up.
06:51Literally, his two tackles did not play a down last year.
06:57That's, in fairness and accuracy to Justin Herbert, who I've always loved.
07:00I've always been banging the drum for Justin Herbert.
07:03Believe that Justin Herbert, at the end of the day, is a truly great player.
07:08When you struggle mightily like this in these kind of playoff games, that, simply put, impacts how you feel about
07:17someone like Justin Herbert.
07:19Now, I will always believe in him because I'm enamored with his talent.
07:22I love how even-keeled he is.
07:24Harbaugh loves him.
07:25And when you start talking about additions for the Chargers, the biggest addition, bar none, was Mike McDaniel, who needed
07:31to go in Miami.
07:32I thought he was a poor head coach.
07:35But, as an offensive mind, a yin to the yang for Harbaugh, different personalities, major upgrade from what they had,
07:43you know, in terms of a prior offensive coordinator, obsessed.
07:47I can't get enough of this move.
07:49I think it's terrific.
07:51I think you're going to see Ladd McConkie take his name, his game, to a different level.
07:56I think the defense is really strong.
07:58I love, love Derwin James, one of my favorite players in the National Football League.
08:03I really think the Chargers have every single element that you want when it comes to being a truly great
08:11team.
08:11Now, they don't have history on their side.
08:14What could go wrong goes wrong for the Chargers, right?
08:18You know, they've gotten better in terms of fan support in Los Angeles.
08:24I give them credit.
08:25They're trying.
08:26They're marketing correctly.
08:27You know, it's still not a great home field situation.
08:31Rams have a real home field.
08:32The Chargers, it's still building.
08:37It's still a budding home field.
08:39Harbaugh can help change the whole thing.
08:40They're going to be brilliantly coached, as they always are.
08:43And I do think, it is L.A., if you build it, they will come, meaning the fans.
08:48Build it as in stockpiling wins, especially early in the season, and then winning in the playoffs.
08:54So, I think the Chargers will get it done this year.
08:57I think that Harbaugh is fantastic.
08:59I love this team.
09:01I still love Herbert, especially as a regular season quarterback, especially getting those
09:04offensive linemen back.
09:06But he's got to win big games, win in the playoffs, and play bigger and better when the game's
09:12on the line.
09:13But I'm picking the Chargers as we speak to win the division.
09:15The Chiefs are my number two team.
09:18So, what about the Broncos?
09:20You know, they won the AFC West last year, and they got so damn close to going to the
09:25Super Bowl.
09:26And frankly, even with Bo Nix out, they still should have won that game, even with overmatched
09:31Jared Stidham starting on Championship Sunday.
09:35Honestly, there's not a bet I like for the Denver Broncos.
09:38And I don't say this with joy or jubilation.
09:41Last year at this time, I love Denver.
09:43I was right about it.
09:44I think their defense is sensational.
09:46Sean Payton's unbelievable.
09:47I don't love Bo Nix.
09:50I just, I don't.
09:51I like him a lot.
09:52I love Bo Nix with Sean Payton.
09:55I'm a little concerned about Bo Nix being healthy to start the season.
10:01You know, I think Denver overachieved last year.
10:05I think in theory, if Nix was healthy, they could have stolen the AFC.
10:10And with that defense, I still think Seattle would have won the Super Bowl, but who the
10:13hell knows what would have happened.
10:15Now, Bo Nix, again, super smart guy, has played really well first two years in the league.
10:21Sean Payton's a gem.
10:22I think Sean Payton's a Hall of Famer.
10:24He's terrific.
10:25I think he's one of the best coaches, offensive minds in the history of the National Football
10:29League.
10:30And I also love what our guy Sean Payton did with the ability to go out and get Waddle
10:36in the offseason.
10:37I think Jalen Waddle, for that team, to add a true number one wide receiver, I think it's
10:42terrific.
10:43I think it's tremendous.
10:44I think it was the perfect guy at the right time.
10:46I also think that that defense is amazing.
10:49Vance Joseph does a brilliant job coaching him up.
10:52Patrick Sertan is, you know, in my mind every year, the best corner in the NFL.
10:56I think Benito is superb.
10:59Zach Allen should change his first name to Sack.
11:02Sack Allen, because that's all he does is get to the quarterback.
11:06Every single year, they're great in terms of every level of defense.
11:09I just think the Chargers are pound for pound better.
11:15And I think the Broncos are better than the Chiefs.
11:21But if Mahomes is Mahomes, we never had that conversation.
11:26If Mahomes is compromised, or if I don't like what I see or hear injury-wise from Mahomes,
11:32I'll take Denver higher in the standings.
11:34But I can't do it now.
11:36I love the Broncos additions this offseason.
11:40Love Waddle.
11:41Love Sean Payton.
11:42They check every box.
11:44I need to see what the health is of Mahomes and Bo Nix before I ultimately start stockpiling
11:50them and ranking them second and third in the division.
11:53So it's a big year for Denver.
11:55They're going to be disrespected in a lot of quarters.
11:56I firmly believe that.
11:57Certainly here on Shine Time for the California Post's YouTube page and the New York Post's
12:03YouTube page.
12:04I'm going to disrespect them.
12:05And I love Sean Payton.
12:08Not yet.
12:09I can't get behind the Denver Broncos quite yet.
12:12Last but not least, Vegas, baby.
12:16The Raiders.
12:17What a disaster last year was.
12:19There were some really smart, handsome people who thought the Raiders were going to be pretty
12:24good last year.
12:26And after week one, where they went on the road and beat the New England Patriots, I was
12:31feeling pretty good.
12:31Then everything went to hell right after that.
12:36Pete Carroll's out.
12:37Gino Smith is out.
12:38Fernando Mendoza, Clint Kubiak in.
12:42I think Clint Kubiak, that's akin to hiring Ben Johnson the year before in Chicago to make
12:48an instant immediate difference.
12:50Max Crosby sticking around.
12:53This is terrific.
12:54Even before the whole Crosby situation, I thought they had an unbelievable offseason.
13:02Linderbaum, the center.
13:03That's terrific.
13:05That's going to help Ashton Gentry.
13:08I thought that pick was great.
13:09Ashton Gentry is going to be one of the five best running backs in the NFL.
13:12It's going to help a healthy Brock Bowers.
13:14Brock Bowers is going to be the best tight end in the NFL.
13:16I like the receiver depth.
13:19I think the line got better.
13:20I like what they did on defense.
13:22When you take a look at the additions that they had even before what ultimately transpired.
13:28And Crosby's back.
13:30He should have never asked for that trade in the first place.
13:33So, when you look at the Raiders' odds board, I'm just telling you right now, don't sleep
13:39on the Raiders.
13:40I think they're going to be in a lot of games and win a lot of games that you don't
13:44expect.
13:46My favorite bet in this division, over for the Raiders, for wins, five and a half.
13:55I think that is a joke.
13:58And I'll take you a step further.
14:00And I really hope this happens.
14:03If I knew Fernando Mendoza was starting week one instead of Kirk Cousins, I would take
14:09the Raiders to win nine-plus games.
14:13I think everything is there.
14:15I think Mendoza's special.
14:17He's got the right demeanor, all the skill sets.
14:19Kubiak's going to work wonders with him.
14:21Look at what he did with Sam Darnold.
14:22Look at what Kubiak has done at prior stops.
14:25I think this is a winning tickets in Vegas.
14:30Why are we messing around with Kirk Cousins?
14:33If, in fact, and I like Kirk, great guy, made a lot of money, great smile.
14:38He was great last year on TV for CBS.
14:41He just can't play football anymore.
14:43He's been injured and been shot for a couple of years.
14:47Kirk Cousins, as a backup, Kirk Cousins as a mentor, I'm in.
14:54Kirk Cousins, as a mentor, I want to see Fernando Mendoza starts week number one, as simple as that.
15:00Unless things are just so backwards and so sideways in camp, Mendoza has to start.
15:05Let him work out some kinks, because I think the Raiders are going to surprise some people this year.
15:10Listen, I really think the Raiders are going to shock some people.
15:15As the late great Al Davis once said, just win, baby.
15:18Or for the sake of the odds, just win at least six games.
15:24CBS Sports launched a new three-part series titled Process.
15:29In the series, the great Evan Washburn examines the NFL offseason of my guy Sam Darnold, Dan Quinn, and Kyle
15:36Hamilton
15:36through the lens of three separate categories of process, physical, mental, and emotional.
15:42The entire series is available on the NFL and CBS YouTube channel.
15:46And joining us right now, the outstanding reporter for the NFL and CBS, my guy, the great Evan Washburn.
15:53Evan, how are you?
15:54I'm good, Sean. How are you, man? It's been way too long.
15:58Way too long. Great to see you.
15:59And before we get into the specifics, this kind of series is right up your alley.
16:04I know how your brain works. I know how you think.
16:06How much fun did you have doing this for the NFL and CBS YouTube page?
16:11Well, I had a blast, and I have to say, and why I'm pumped to be here,
16:15the origins of this really started back on the Where's Washburn training camp tour
16:20because your show provided a platform to go on a training camp tour for all those years,
16:26and I'm still doing it and love it.
16:28But whenever you're there in what is the pseudo offseason,
16:32while it's a few weeks ahead of week one, you get this sense,
16:36man, there's more to dive into here.
16:37These guys, when they're away from the week-to-week grind of the season,
16:41there's a depth of storytelling that's available.
16:45There's just a depth to all the characters that make up this league.
16:49And I've always wanted the opportunity to spend more time getting into the minds
16:54of these players and coaches.
16:55And so after all those years of traveling during the training camp season,
17:00was finally able to come up with a pitch for a series that would offer that opportunity.
17:07So we did that in May and June, and it lived up to my expectations,
17:11and I'm thrilled with how it came out.
17:13I love it.
17:14And it's outstanding.
17:15Highest possible recommendation.
17:16And, you know, I love the subjects here,
17:19and I love the way you broke it down.
17:21And specifically, you know this, I have always been going back to USC,
17:25a huge Sam Darnold fan, and I love what he did in Minnesota.
17:29I always believed in him going back to the Jets and Carolina and San Francisco
17:33and then winning the Super Bowl last year.
17:36So what did you learn about the physical process from my guy, the great Sam Darnold?
17:42Well, first of all, just the level of detail is through the roof
17:46on the mechanics of throwing a football.
17:48So as you laid out, we had three subjects, three episodes.
17:52And for Sam, it was the physical.
17:54So pretty obvious.
17:55How do you prime your body for the season?
17:58And we wanted to get even more detailed.
18:00So we talked to Sam ahead of time, and he agreed he'd take us into his throwing workout
18:05and really specifically his deep ball throwing.
18:09So thinking 15 to 20-plus air yards
18:11and what is required to get your body in the position, your arm, everything,
18:18to be able to throw it at the level of accuracy, velocity,
18:21all those things that you need to do to be a starter in this league
18:24and then to eventually, as he did this past season,
18:27help lead an offense to a Super Bowl.
18:29And it's funny.
18:31I consider myself a decent athlete, a guy who can pick up a ball
18:35and feel comfortable throwing it with the fellas or with the family.
18:38But when you're on that practice field and you've got a real NFL football
18:43that's been primed for Sam Darnold and has the proper inflation,
18:49all those things, it's incredibly challenging.
18:52So I think my first sort of broad takeaway was,
18:56God, their job is a lot harder than I'd even imagine.
18:58And we, as you have, been watching these guys play for 10-plus years
19:02as our profession.
19:03But when you're in it with them, man, it's hard.
19:06Without question.
19:07And I love what you were able to get from Darnold.
19:10And I was fascinated about the conversation
19:13and what you were able to unearth from Dan Quinn.
19:17What is it about what Dan Quinn brings to the table
19:20when it comes to that mental edge, Ev, in coaching?
19:24Well, I think just how self-aware he is
19:28and how willingness he is to kind of assess what he's done well,
19:34but more importantly, what he's done wrong.
19:35And why DQ was such an important subject for the mental episode,
19:40which I always had pinned as a head coach,
19:43is he was at the top or close to the top.
19:46Year one in Washington, they make the NFC Championship game.
19:50And it looks like, man, they've got it all figured out.
19:53Jaden Daniels is the dude.
19:54He's got everything working on both sides of the ball.
19:57And then the next year, it completely turns upside down.
20:00It's why we love this league,
20:01why it's the greatest reality show going.
20:04But he had to live it.
20:05And the accountability and ownership that he took
20:07for why they lost all those games
20:10and why things turned upside down.
20:12Because on the surface, it was pretty easy for much of us to say,
20:15well, Jaden Daniels was hurt for, I think, 11 games.
20:17You had a bunch of injuries across your starting lineup
20:20on both sides of the ball.
20:21But he went deeper than that.
20:23And one of my favorite nuggets from the episode
20:25was the fact that he put in film from an OTA practice year one
20:31and then married it to year two.
20:34And the words he used, the lack of desperation that existed,
20:38the lack of intensity, attention to detail.
20:40So that has nothing to do with injuries during the season
20:43or whatever may have happened over the course of the 18 games.
20:47This is something that he could now see existed way back in March.
20:51And that's what you get from a guy like Dan Quinn.
20:54And then it was fun to spin that conversation forward
20:57and how they've changed things going into year three here,
21:00trying to get back to where they were.
21:02That self-scout process was a big, big anchor to the entire episode.
21:07And it's, again, one of those words like process that we hear
21:10as fans and media covering the sport.
21:12And my hope was to just try and give a little bit more clarity
21:15as to what that really means.
21:17I love that you were able to get under the hood
21:18with regards to Kyle Hamilton.
21:20He's such a stud, physical specimen, phenomenal player, so brilliant.
21:25How does he get himself right emotionally?
21:29Well, look, golf is an emotional outlet for a lot of us.
21:34I'm new to the sport, but it has offered me a lot,
21:37including a ton of frustration.
21:39But for Kyle, it's been his outlet going back to when he was a young kid
21:43with his dad and his dad introducing him to the sport.
21:47And, look, I think the emotional episode was going to be,
21:51quote, unquote, the most fun one
21:53and the one that probably replicates a lot of what you might see on YouTube,
21:58especially in the golf space, which has gotten extremely popular.
22:01But amidst us trying to play a scramble and shoot under par
22:05at a course north of Baltimore,
22:07I think you got a window into what Kyle Hamilton thinks
22:11about what happened to the Ravens last year,
22:13but also just where he is in his career
22:16and how he's starting to view things through a different lens,
22:20even though he's still extremely young.
22:22And the great nugget I'll give you from it, Adam,
22:24that I know you'll appreciate that wasn't in the episode
22:26because it doesn't really make sense for it to be in there.
22:28But Kyle is a, I think he said he's a four.
22:31So he is close to a scratch golfer.
22:34And he did not hit the ball well off the tee.
22:37We had some time on the range,
22:38and then we only played six holes due to time restraints,
22:41or what I thought was time restraints.
22:43But the greatest part was we're wrapping up on hole six.
22:46We clearly didn't meet our goal of par better.
22:49We were a couple of par.
22:50And he turns to the pro who was with us,
22:53just kind of making sure everything was going well on the course.
22:55And he said, hey, can I get another bucket?
22:58And can you get me a spot on the range?
23:00Because I'm not leaving here until I can figure out this driver.
23:04And that takes you to the window and the mindset of these guys
23:08where even though I think he had somewhere to go,
23:10he was not leaving that course.
23:12Even though it's his emotional outlet,
23:13he still has that fire and that edge
23:16that I'm not walking off this course
23:17until I feel good about at least a couple of these drives.
23:20I love that.
23:21Now, I want to get into the AFC West with you.
23:23And you're getting ready for your training camp tour.
23:26Another season for the NFL and CBS with Ian Eagle and J.J. Watt.
23:30And this division, I think there's a case to be made.
23:34It's the best division, most fascinating division in the entire league.
23:38I'm obsessed with this AFC West.
23:40And look, I want to start with the Chiefs
23:42because you all know what happened last year.
23:44Now, Travis Kelsey, I don't know if you know this.
23:45He got married in the offseason.
23:47I heard, yeah.
23:48That's been a top-of-the-conversation.
23:50He's pretty popular, I guess.
23:51Yeah, I don't know who he got married to,
23:53but I know it's out there, right?
23:55You know, the Chiefs had an interesting offseason.
23:57You know, they trade away,
23:58arguably their best defensive player.
24:00I thought they had a phenomenal draft.
24:01Love Kenneth Walker.
24:03Seems like Patrick Mahomes is going to be ready to rock and roll.
24:06Going into camp, not even this season, Ev,
24:09just starting in July,
24:11what's your feel on Kansas City?
24:15I like them.
24:16I don't know if I like them to the level of Chiefs
24:20in their ceiling days
24:22and when they were kind of running the AFC in general,
24:25but I think there's an underdog mentality
24:28that they haven't been able to embrace for a while.
24:31There's a doubt that has crept in.
24:33And, I mean, the cop is there for Brady
24:36after he tore his ACL.
24:38I think it was the exact same number of years into the league
24:41or in and around that time.
24:43I mean, that first season back for Tom was a bit bumpy,
24:46but I don't think that fell on his shoulders.
24:48I think they maybe didn't have all the pieces around them.
24:51They may have lost in the divisional round
24:52or wild card to the Ravens that year.
24:55But I think that this team is going to be in a great place
24:59where there are always going to be a ton of eyes on them
25:01because of Mahomes, because of Kelsey,
25:03because of what they've done.
25:04But the expectation and the weight of trying to kind of replicate
25:10what they did a year before falls more on the Broncos.
25:13I think they've got to now prove to people
25:16that they're the class of this division.
25:17And I think Kansas City is plenty comfortable
25:19being in the position of hunting
25:21as opposed to being the hunted as much as they have been
25:25because that's exhausting.
25:26As you know, that takes a toll.
25:28What are we talking about the last probably,
25:29I don't know, six to eight years
25:31that they've been the team that everybody circles,
25:34especially within the division,
25:35that, hey, if we take these guys down, we're in business.
25:38So you referenced the Broncos.
25:40Let's get into them for a second
25:41because I don't know exactly who they are.
25:45And that might sound weird
25:46because their defense was so great
25:48and they had a golden opportunity
25:50to get to the Super Bowl.
25:51And obviously, Bo Nix was hurt.
25:53And I'm convinced they would have won that game
25:55if he was healthy.
25:56And they still had an opportunity to win it.
25:58We all know about some coaching decisions.
26:00Sean Payton, who I love,
26:01I think he's phenomenal, Hall of Famer.
26:04He's outstanding.
26:05They make the Waddle deal.
26:07There's just something in my brain, though, Evan,
26:10where I'm just wondering, can they do it again?
26:13And the AFC is loaded.
26:15The division is loaded.
26:17So last year, I loved the Broncos.
26:19And it might sound funny.
26:21Nix is coming off of a major injury.
26:24It sounds like he's going to be on track, on target.
26:26I don't necessarily have the same feel for the Broncos now
26:31as I did last year, which doesn't really make sense.
26:36Kind of take the temperature where you see it
26:38going into camp on Denver.
26:40I couldn't agree with you more.
26:42I never believed in Denver over the course of last season.
26:46And that went all the way up into an AFC championship game appearance.
26:49I have incredible respect for how they navigated the year,
26:53how they found ways to win.
26:55And I do think that there's a foundation
26:57for a consistently good team there
27:00with all the pieces you just laid out.
27:02But if you told me to rank my top five in the AFC,
27:06I haven't spent a lot of time.
27:07I'm sure I'll do a little bit more of that
27:09ahead of the training camp tour.
27:10But I'm not sure I would have Denver in that
27:13or on that list.
27:14I agree, yeah.
27:16Where I see the power rankings of the AFC.
27:20And I think New England's right there with them.
27:24It was an upside down year in the conference,
27:27largely due to injuries.
27:29Baltimore fell apart because of injuries early in the year
27:32and then just was trying to claw their way back.
27:35And then the way the schedule lines up.
27:38When you are at the bottom, as we know,
27:40the bottom of the league,
27:41you are benefiting usually from a better,
27:44more favorable schedule the following year.
27:46And it offers you the opportunity.
27:48We've seen this Minnesota a couple of seasons ago
27:50when they pop that one score game record up
27:54or one possession game record up
27:56and you find a way to win more of those.
27:59Understanding that is the nature of the NFL.
28:01It often does come down to one score.
28:03But you know what I mean.
28:04It's the, they were able to find ways to win.
28:07I don't know if that's a sustainable formula,
28:10if you will, the things that often anchor me
28:13and is this team going to be consistently good?
28:15It's head coach, it's quarterback, it's defense,
28:18and then ability to take the ball away
28:20and have explosive plays and protect the ball.
28:23And I think that if Bo Nix can prove
28:27that he's in that, whatever you want to call it,
28:30that sort of mid to upper tier group of quarterbacks,
28:33this is going to be the year to do it.
28:35I think last year he was protected
28:36by a lot of things around him,
28:38both by the way his head coach called the game,
28:40and that's to his credit,
28:41but also the way that defense played.
28:43I want to get into the Chargers with you.
28:45And look, I don't lock in my predictions.
28:48And the Chargers, you know,
28:49this was one of those teams last year,
28:51you know, this time last year,
28:52I'm like, I'm picking the Chargers
28:53to win the division.
28:54Then everyone gets hurt.
28:55Entire line is hurt.
28:56The tackles are hurt.
28:57I'm like, it's like, you know,
28:59the Seinfeld, you know, the contest.
29:01I'm out, right?
29:01Like, I'm just, I'm out on the Chargers.
29:03My goal this year when I make my predictions
29:06to pick the Chargers to win the division
29:10and have it be a true team
29:12that I see playing in the Super Bowl.
29:14Not that I'm going to pick them per se,
29:15but in theory,
29:17they should be in the all L.A. Super Bowl in L.A.
29:21So how does this team get over that hump?
29:27Man, the Chargers have just,
29:29they've shown us so much over the last few years
29:32and let's call it within the Herbert era here
29:35since he's been under center
29:37and then obviously Jim Harbaugh taking the reins
29:40the last couple seasons in terms of potential.
29:44And they're everyone's darling,
29:45either ahead of the season, early in the season,
29:48at times in the middle of the season,
29:50but they've just been so disappointing
29:52and critical moments.
29:53And having them in a playoff game
29:54a couple years ago in Houston
29:56when it felt like everything was lined up for them
29:59to kind of push all of that to the side
30:01and prove that this is a group
30:03that can take that next step
30:04and meet some of these expectations
30:06of at least just making a run at a divisional
30:09or an AFC championship game.
30:11I think the tackle position,
30:13obviously the ability to protect Justin Herbert
30:16is going to be, you know,
30:18the pragmatic view of,
30:19is this team going to be able to do those things,
30:24win a playoff game for the first time
30:25since Herbert's been a quarterback.
30:27All that health stuff has just stood in the way
30:31of success down the stretch.
30:34So I think that stands alone.
30:36They're probably, and I would agree with you here,
30:38the most talented team in the division.
30:40They're the roster I would want.
30:42Absolutely.
30:43On both sides of the ball.
30:44But the beauty of this league
30:46is there's so much more to it
30:47than just having the guys
30:49and having the roster of the 2D bomb paper.
30:53It's a fun division to talk about,
30:54and I know we still haven't hit the Raiders
30:56and where they are in their rebuild
30:58with Mendoza and Kirk.
31:00But I think the Chargers should be the class
31:03of the AFC West.
31:04But until I see it beyond the wild card,
31:08I'm not going to believe it.
31:10Let's get into the Raiders.
31:11And I love the way you phrased it.
31:13And in a lot of ways, Evan,
31:15I kind of want them to, like,
31:17outkick year one of the rebuild.
31:19Because I thought their offseason,
31:21and it took a zany route, let's be honest,
31:23with everything that happened with Max Crosby,
31:24I thought it was fantastic.
31:26I love the Clint Kubiak hire.
31:28I view it the same way I viewed Ben Johnson in Chicago.
31:31I love Mendoza.
31:33I love the additions they made.
31:34Linderbaum at center.
31:36I really think that Ashton Gentry
31:38is going to have a monster second season.
31:40Brock Bowers is going to get back
31:41to being Brock Bowers.
31:44I'm fascinated to get your take.
31:46I can't scream that this team
31:49is going to make the playoffs.
31:51But I think the Raiders are going to be
31:52a pain in the ass for everyone
31:54that they play on their schedule.
31:56And I wouldn't be surprised to see them
31:58splits, three and three in the division.
32:01I think they're going to be a tough out
32:03every single Sunday.
32:05I agree.
32:06I think that the foundation from the,
32:09as you put it,
32:10the roster management side of things
32:12has provided some stability.
32:14It's still a volatile organization.
32:16It's just kind of the nature of who they are,
32:18whether it's basing themselves in Vegas
32:21or the Davis family
32:23and how they win the thing.
32:25But whether it's having the ability
32:28to say Tom Brady's part of our ownership group,
32:30it does seem that they are moving
32:33in a more secure direction.
32:36The cop for me would be
32:38the New York Giants of last year.
32:41But the question remains,
32:43are you going to go to Mendoza early
32:45or are they going to do similar
32:46to what New York did with Jackson Dart
32:48and kind of play this game early in the year
32:51when the reality is you're just,
32:53you're waiting and you're,
32:54I just, I think that sets up a roster
32:56for all the other guys
32:58on both sides of the ball
32:59to just kind of be living in this purgatory,
33:01knowing that the organization
33:03wants to give it to this guy.
33:05So unless Mendoza is just completely
33:08ill-prepared through training camp,
33:10to me, for them to do the things
33:13you're talking about,
33:14maybe go three and three in the division,
33:15maybe hover around 500,
33:17I think you got to throw Mendoza out there week one.
33:20Totally agree.
33:21Let him marry himself to,
33:23I love to brought up Linderbaum,
33:25getting to know him as a player here in Baltimore.
33:28Just incredible stability
33:29at what is such a critical position.
33:32I think if Mendoza is anywhere close to prepared,
33:36they've got to go with them.
33:37But I just have a sense they're not.
33:38I think it's going to be kind of
33:40how New York handled things last year
33:42where they went with Russell Wilson,
33:43even though no one really wanted that.
33:46And he, you know,
33:47it just, it lines up too perfectly.
33:49So we'll have to wait and see.
33:51But that would be my hope
33:52is that he's good enough to go
33:54and they give him a shot.
33:56Because I think the sooner you get to it
33:58and get through the inevitable growing pains,
34:00the better the dividends will be on the back end.
34:03Yeah, and it's Mendoza.
34:04I mean, think about what he did in college.
34:05I absolutely think he should start
34:07no matter what week number one.
34:09Ev, you're the best.
34:09We appreciate it as always.
34:11Congrats on the incredible process series
34:13on the NFL and CBS on YouTube.
34:15And we will see you
34:16throughout the course of the season.
34:18Great stuff as always, my friend.
34:19You're the man.
34:20Always good to be with you.
34:21And really, thanks for all the things you did
34:24to help me along the way early on
34:26in these off-season projects.
34:28Because had I not had a home on time to shine,
34:31there would be no process this off-season.
34:34Ev, you're the best.
34:35I appreciate it.
34:36You're doing an unbelievable job
34:37and we appreciate the time as always.
34:39We'll see you next time.
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