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00:00Joining us right now on Shine Time to give us his view of the AFC East, my guy, former Patriot,
00:06former Dolphin, ESPN superstar, Rockland County native, makes him perfect for this topic, the great Jason McCourty.
00:16J-Mac, how are ya?
00:17I'm doing good. I love the Rockland County shout out as always. It's good to talk to you, man.
00:22Listen, Jason, you and your brother do such a brilliant job, you and Devin, giving back to the community.
00:28This weekend, it's the annual McCourty Twins football camp, July the 18th.
00:34Camp is for boys and girls ages 6 to 14. It's in Rockland County. It takes place at Nyack High
00:40School.
00:41Tell us why this is so important for you and your family.
00:44Man, I think for my brother and myself and our older brother, he's the one who got us into football
00:49in the first place.
00:50Growing up in Rockland County, we were always playing sports from wall ball, wiffle ball, kickball, every single thing you
00:56could in the backyard.
00:57And always dreamed of becoming a professional athlete.
01:00And I used to look up to Keith Bullock, pointing to him and saying, I know if Keith made it,
01:05we have a chance to be able to do so.
01:07I obviously got a chance to be teammates with him in Tennessee.
01:10So it's been an awesome opportunity for Devin and myself each and every year to have this camp and allow
01:16all the kids to come out and be able to ask us questions,
01:19run around with us on the field just so they can see whatever you're dreaming of is possible.
01:24Like we were just two kids growing up in Nyack High School and was able to figure it out and
01:28we want them to do the same.
01:29So there'll be a ton of people in the community giving back. Everything is free. Pizza, ice cream.
01:34We encourage everybody to come out and just have a good time. We'll be out there, rain or shine.
01:38I love that. We just had Keith on with us right in studio to preview the AFC South.
01:44So listen, it's awesome. And, you know, Keith is a childhood friend.
01:48So I love that you referenced him. And, you know, Rockland County all the time. I can't get enough.
01:53Let's get into the division, right? And the Patriots won the division, won the conference last year.
01:59Drake May was sensational. Burst on the scene, runner up for MVP. He's so special.
02:04He's brilliantly coached under Josh McDaniels and Mike Vrabel. Jason, in your opinion, what makes him so great?
02:10And how does he get to even another level with a perfect fit at receiver, A.J. Brown, on board?
02:17Yeah, last year he was just elite at getting the ball down the field.
02:21And it's something that's so hard to do to be as accurate as he was.
02:24And it's so successful being able to do so. And that was without a true number one wide receiver.
02:29I know Stephon Diggs over 1,000 yards last year and moved all around the offense for them.
02:34I think the step that we saw Drake May last year, even talking to him in production meetings,
02:39was his ability to understand why behind each and every play.
02:43And it's just amazing in the league how things change so fast.
02:46Week one, they lose to the Las Vegas Raiders at home.
02:50I remember reading that week. Everybody was asking Drake May with the addition of Josh McDaniels,
02:54was there too much on his plate, too much to figure out, and slowing him down and processing of how
03:00he was playing.
03:01And from that point on, the second week was down in Miami.
03:03You just saw him just continue to ascend as the season went on along with that offense.
03:09So I think you add the addition of A.J. Brown, what Josh McDaniels was able to do,
03:13I think back to Randy Moss' first year with the New England Patriots, I think it was over 1,400
03:18yards.
03:19Him and Brady were setting records.
03:21And then you fast-forward to McDaniels' first year with the Raiders.
03:24They didn't have a ton of team success, but you look at the numbers Devontae Adams had that year
03:28with targets, touchdown catches, yards, and receptions.
03:31It was unbelievable.
03:32So I think in year one, we're going to see A.J. Brown move all around that offense,
03:37and Josh McDaniels is going to do a great job of getting him the football in positions to succeed.
03:42I think that's only going to elevate Drake May's game even more.
03:45Without question.
03:46And Mike Vable had A.J. Brown in Tennessee,
03:48so there's that relationship, which I love.
03:51Now, the Patriots, Jason, won a lot of close games last year,
03:54and there are people like me who wondered aloud about that fine line between both fortunate and great.
04:03Now, May's unbelievable.
04:05A Mike Vable coached team is buttoned up and disciplined and go back to Tennessee,
04:10gets teams to overachieve.
04:11So for those who are perhaps non-believers or skeptics,
04:17and I know the coaching's elite, the quarterback's elites, A.J. Brown's elites,
04:20what are the keys for the Patriots?
04:23Let's start with the division to win the division again.
04:27I think a lot of it, their schedule's going to be a lot tougher this year.
04:30They go from being the hunters to being hunted because now you're not sneaking up on anyone.
04:35So it's definitely going to be more challenging.
04:38I think, obviously, defensively, they've got to get Christian Gonzalez under contract
04:42and keep him happy on that side of the ball.
04:44He's an elite cornerback in this league, one of the top five to ten guys
04:48when it comes to being able to take away a side of the field.
04:51I think offensively, it's continuing to get that run game going.
04:55Ramondre Stevenson holding on to the football,
04:58and Travion Henderson being able to take another step where he wasn't used as much
05:02as a lot of people anticipated, if he can really take his game to another level,
05:06that's an added dimension for them and a breakout type of player
05:10that can score from anywhere on the field.
05:12We saw kind of a rollercoaster last year where you saw big plays out of him
05:16and then not as much usage the next week.
05:18It's part of being a rookie, understanding pass protections,
05:21understanding all of those different things.
05:22I think he can be a key step for them this year,
05:25and I think on the defensive side of the ball is getting that pass rush.
05:29They lost Kalevon Chason, who signed with the Washington Commanders.
05:33They went out and got Draymond Jones.
05:34They drafted second-rounder Gabe Yakes.
05:38He hasn't been there.
05:39He's unsigned still, so that's something that they have to get figured out
05:42because they're going to have to get after the quarterback a lot next year
05:46to be able to continue their dominance they had in the AFC.
05:49And just overall, I can understand people being down.
05:53When you look across the division in the conference, though,
05:55there's a lot of question marks on other teams.
05:58As we get into Buffalo at some point, they have a brand-new head coach.
06:02Miami's hitting reset.
06:03The Jets now have gotten a lot better, I think, in this offseason.
06:07But Patrick Mahomes, is he healthy?
06:09The Denver Broncos, Bo Nix coming off of an injury.
06:11The Ravens also have a new head coach.
06:13So there's a lot of change and a lot of question marks throughout the conference.
06:17Let's get into the Bills.
06:18And you referenced a new head coach.
06:20And, look, Sean McDermott won a lot of games.
06:22You have to give credit.
06:23I think the minute we don't do that, we've kind of lost the sight of everything.
06:27But I also, for the sake of conversation and fairness and accuracy, Jason,
06:30I get it for a team that has Super Bowl aspirations.
06:33Look, I can appreciate why it was time for them to make a change.
06:37So when you analyze everything,
06:41how will the change with the head coach, the new voice,
06:44impact the 2026 Buffalo Bills?
06:47You know, it can go two ways.
06:48I think, to your point with McDermott, you take for granted the fact that they were highly successful each and
06:53every year.
06:54They fell short in the playoffs.
06:55A lot of that, you can pass that blame around for a lot of different reasons throughout the course of
07:00their tenure, of his tenure there.
07:02But I think Brady brings in something a little different.
07:05I think for Buffalo Bills fans and the people in the building,
07:08your hope is that this newness to a certain extent,
07:11maybe a different type of energy, a different focus,
07:14can help propel and just get them right over the hump.
07:17The challenge for Joe Brady is understanding what you don't know.
07:20It's hard for rookie head coaches to make it to the Super Bowls.
07:24It only happened five times.
07:25The last time was in 2009 when Jim Caldwell did it with the Indianapolis Colts.
07:30So for Brady, who's going to be the offensive play caller,
07:33it's going to be big to be able to hit the ground running and understanding now,
07:36not only am I running this offense and trying to figure out the best thing for Josh Allen,
07:40but I also need to pay attention and know what the best thing is for their team.
07:43I think a sneaky big hire for them was Pete Carmichael as the offensive coordinator
07:48who he brought over from Denver, who was with Sean Payton as an offensive coordinator
07:53for so many years while Payton was a play caller.
07:55So he understands what that role looks like and what's needed from him as that OC spot
08:01to kind of keep things rolling for Joe Brady.
08:04Listen, you study the film.
08:07You have been in the broadcast booth calling games.
08:10You analyze quarterbacks.
08:12You've had to stop quarterbacks.
08:14I just think the world of Josh Allen.
08:16What makes him so special?
08:19I think there's an on-the-field aspect and then there's an off-the-field aspect.
08:24The reason why Josh Allen is such a difference maker on the field.
08:28I think on the field the obvious part is how strong his arm is,
08:31how athletic he is, his ability to get away from the rush, to make throws down the field.
08:36But I think off the field, when you watch his connection with the guys in that locker room,
08:41the amount of trust that they have in No. 17 when the ball is in his hands,
08:45there's something special, I think, just about Buffalo and about being in Western New York
08:50that those guys really take heat in and really think it's special.
08:54I think when you look across their offensive side of the ball from the Titans and Dalton Kincaid
08:59and Dawson Knox and Jackson and all of those guys that are running back,
09:03there's a special bond.
09:04And I think Josh Allen is at the center of all of that.
09:07But when you have a guy that can do as much as he can do and is as physical as
09:11he is
09:12at that quarterback position, it is just special when you put together his ability to scramble
09:16and his ability to get the ball deep down the field and quickly out of his hands.
09:21I'm right along with you. Josh, if I'm drafting a team, he's probably the quarterback
09:24between him and Lamar that I'm going first.
09:27And that says a lot, obviously, with Mahomes in this league, too.
09:30Absolutely. Now, I thought Buffalo had not only a strong offseason, but a smart offseason.
09:36Look, DJ Moore, to me, is exactly who they needed.
09:39Tough, clutch, can certainly, you know, stretch the field.
09:43I think Josh is going to love him. Bradley Chubb, I mean, they couldn't stop him,
09:47so they signed him. We can talk about the contract if you want,
09:49but the guy gets to the quarterback. Do you think around Josh they have enough on offense
09:55and defense? Because here's the question. It's a division preview.
09:59But do they have enough, Jason, to go to the Super Bowl and finally win the Super Bowl?
10:03They do. And they've had enough. Like, that's the ā when you look at Buffalo,
10:08it hasn't been, well, we were just missing this one guy.
10:12They were right there in these games. This past year, there was some turnovers from Josh.
10:15It was a catch with Brandon Cooks. There was a 13-seconds game.
10:19There was a Stephon Diggs drop. There was a missed field goal.
10:22There was a Duncan Cade drop. There's been so many little things for them
10:25that have just been somebody stepping up in the moment to make the play.
10:29It hasn't been because of lack thereof of anything on this roster.
10:33Of course, when you go through, could you say we would love a big play down the field threat
10:37on the offensive side of the ball, that receiver?
10:39There's different things you can nitpick and ask for, but absolutely they have enough
10:44of a team around Josh to be able to make it to a Super Bowl.
10:48To me, the biggest additions have been on the defensive side of the ball.
10:51A guy like C.J. Gardner-Johnson coming in there, signing some of the guys that they did
10:55to be able to build around on the defensive side of the ball.
10:58So, so much is an ass of Josh Allen and that offense.
11:01If they can get stops, that's Ed Oliver's coming across the screen.
11:04If he's healthy. If some of those young defensive linemen they drafted a year ago
11:08can take another step, I think they definitely have enough.
11:12And it's going to come in this division between them and New England,
11:15who's going to be able to win and be on top.
11:17Without question. I agree with you. I think Buffalo absolutely has enough.
11:22Jason, I kind of like the direction for the Jets. Seriously.
11:25I thought they had a really smart, calculated, just a brilliant offseason.
11:30Damero Davis, I just interviewed him in studio at SiriusXM.
11:34I mean, you know, he's built like an Adonis.
11:36I mean, he's still doing it. It's unbelievable.
11:39I mean, talking to him about his physique and what he puts into it and what he eats.
11:43I like the Geno Smith move. I thought that made a lot of sense.
11:46I loved their draft. Loaded at the skill position. Solid line.
11:51Can the Jets turn the corner?
11:54They're the sneaky team and the division, to your point.
11:58And you didn't even mention the fact that they have three first-round draft picks going into the 27 draft.
12:03This has been, if you're a Jets fan, you sit back and you're like, competency.
12:07Like, you just feel like you're in a great place right now because you're looking at your team.
12:12You're saying, for this year, we obviously want to win games.
12:15We want to stack and build a winning culture.
12:16But you're just trying to make sure, all right, the staff that's been built this year with Aaron Glenn, you
12:21just want to make sure this is the correct staff going into the future.
12:24And I think Aaron Glenn showed last year he was learning on the job as a head coach.
12:29But he has the moxie, I think, to be a head coach and be successful in this league.
12:34Just seeing the way the veterans responded to him a year ago.
12:37Harrison Phillips talking about last year.
12:39He felt like they built a foundation of what it means to be a Jet in a positive way and
12:45building on top of that.
12:46But to your point, the additions that they've made, now you have a veteran quarterback in Geno Smith to be
12:51able to help lead the charge.
12:53Somebody that's been through so much adversity throughout the course of his career to end up where he is.
12:58You mentioned Demario Davis.
13:00I was teammates with him for an offseason in Cleveland.
13:02I mean, it doesn't get any better when you talk about leadership and a guy serving other people and putting
13:08him in a position to succeed.
13:10Minka Fitzpatrick, the veterans that they brought in on the defensive line, Onyemada, Anagbari, those guys that can help usher
13:18in the young talent that they've been able to develop.
13:20And a guy like Amalakai Moore, Thomas at the cornerback position, Nashawn Wright coming over.
13:25So there's been so many additions that now you look at this team and you don't really know what number
13:31of games they're going to win because there's a lot of variables with the newness of the team going forward.
13:37And then obviously Frank Wright as an offensive coordinator.
13:40I think now Aaron Glenn probably feels like he has the right staff around him to implement and to lead
13:45this team the way he wants to and the way he sees fit.
13:48Yeah, I want to get into Glenn with you because I raved about the hire.
13:53Loved it.
13:54I thought Aaron Glenn should have been a head coach in this league way before he got the job with
13:58the Jets.
13:58In a lot of ways, Jason, when he got the Jets job, I thought it was the equivalent to kin
14:02to win.
14:03D'Amico Ryan's got the Texans job, former player with the organization, knows the highs, knows the lows, knows how
14:10to navigate.
14:11And it didn't work last year.
14:12It was a bad year by every measuring stick.
14:15What needs to happen for Aaron Glenn to prove he's the guy?
14:19I think from a head coaching standpoint, I was talking to a veteran last year who was still playing in
14:24the league, and we started just talking about what you want in a head coach.
14:28And the one thing that he harped on is at the end of games and when it comes down to
14:33the nitty gritty, you need a coach that is going to, one, or in different ways, either a play caller,
14:39that you're finding ways to dial up the right play to win games, or from a game management standpoint, you're
14:45able to navigate and do things to put your team on top.
14:48I think for Aaron Glenn, he's going to be the play caller on the defensive side of the ball, which
14:52is going to change things in how we look at him and evaluate him, because you've got to be able
14:56to come up with turnovers and come up with stops.
14:59And then I think from a game management standpoint, last year, there were different times where you saw them do
15:04things, where you're scratching your head, a game in London, a game against, where you're like, kind of, why are
15:09they doing this?
15:10This doesn't really make sense.
15:12And I think the first time as a head coach, there's so many different things to manage on game day
15:16that you're figuring out.
15:17I think that's the next step for them.
15:19I don't think it's going to be measured in just wins and losses.
15:22It's going to see, when you look out there from the eyeball test, what does this team look like?
15:26How are they competing week in and week out?
15:28And are they putting themselves in the right position to win the games?
15:32If you're losing just because this guy beat us on this given play, but we were in the right call,
15:37we were doing it, then you're okay with that.
15:38But you have to make sure that's the reason, and not because we're getting outcoached.
15:43Such a brilliant way to phrase it.
15:44All right, finally, the Dolphins.
15:46And I'm fascinated to get your take on this.
15:49They have a direction.
15:50It's been a minute, but I like it.
15:52The new GM, the new coach, the new quarterback.
15:55Everyone's aligned from the same place.
15:58I think it's super smart.
15:59I dig it.
16:00Give us your opinion on Miami's offseason and the expectations for the season, and most especially, Jason, for the future.
16:08Yeah, it's a full reset.
16:10And I think it was needed.
16:12You think about the last few years, it's been kind of the thought process of let's go all in.
16:17They brought in Mike McDaniel, Tua was there, Tua was playing at a high level, traded for Tyreek Hill, and
16:23you were trying to go out and win the Super Bowl.
16:25They fell tremendously short.
16:27And you look at the last few years and how everything kind of crumbled to the wayside.
16:31It was time.
16:32So now it's a brand-new GM in John Eric Sullivan, a new head coach in Jeff Halfley.
16:36And now you're trying to move forward and figure out, for one, you signed Malik Willis, a short-term deal.
16:42You saw what he was able to do in Green Bay and how he was able to be effective in
16:46the time and the moments that he got a chance to go out there on the field.
16:50Can he carry that over as a franchise guy?
16:53The struggle, the question mark that I have for them is you get Malik Willis there now in the building,
16:58but you look at what he's surrounded with, it's a lot to ask of him, of a first-time, full
17:03-time starter.
17:04And you look at the wide receiver position, they have Tutu Atwell over there, Malik Washington as a guy, Tolbert
17:10they brought over from the Dallas Cowboys.
17:12There's not a true number one in a sense there, Greg Dolchus as the tight end.
17:16Obviously, they kept A-chan as a running back, which has been huge, but you're asking a lot for him
17:21as the quarterback to go out there and compete and try to win games with what he's surrounded with on
17:25the offensive side of the ball.
17:27I do think the reset was needed, and it's going to be interesting to see how they compete within this
17:32division.
17:32I obviously have them last going forward, and I think they know that.
17:35The expectation is to build a culture and to build a foundation to be able to stack on top of
17:41in the coming years as they figure out exactly who they're going to be identity-wise for a franchise.
17:48Jason, you're the best.
17:49We appreciate the time, as always.
17:51Continued success, ESPN, unbelievable.
17:54Love watching you on Get Up and First Take and NFL Live.
17:57Keep up the great work.
17:58Enjoy the camp this weekend, and we'll talk to you again real soon.
18:01You do the same.
18:02Always good to see you.
18:05You do the same.
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