- 3 hours ago
Steve Wyche joins the show to discuss the biggest news across the NFL as training camps have opened for all 32 teams.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00We are fired up right now to get to the Rude Guest Hotline.
00:03Remember, you can find a Rude Pro Partner at Rude.com, R-U-U-D.
00:07And talk to Steve Weiss from the NFL Network.
00:11Steve, what's up, man?
00:12Thank you for making some time for us.
00:14Yeah, J.B., thanks for having me, man.
00:16I'm glad to, dude.
00:17I'm curious what your training camp's often running around the NFL,
00:22what your travel schedule's like, what camps you're visiting,
00:25kind of what your plans are for these next few weeks.
00:28Well, I'm going to hop a flight to Denver.
00:30I will be at the Broncos on Saturday because on NFL Network and ESPN,
00:35we're having a big back-together weekend.
00:36So I'll be with the Broncos on Saturday, the Ravens on Monday,
00:41the Falcons on Tuesday, and then Wednesday,
00:44I'm up to my annual sojourn to Canton, Ohio,
00:46for the big weekend of the Pro Football Hall of Fame festivities.
00:49Awesome, man.
00:50Get those frequent flyer miles, those Marriott points.
00:52There we go.
00:52Make it work.
00:55I'm curious.
00:56I'd like to start on the national level,
00:59and then maybe we'll dig into some commander stuff.
01:01But heading to Denver, since Sean Payton's gotten there,
01:05that team's gotten really good.
01:06But Sean Payton's also an interesting character
01:08and likes to challenge people,
01:10and it seems like he kind of took some shots at Bo Nix,
01:14but maybe that's just Sean's way.
01:15What do you think fair expectations are for the Broncos,
01:18the first team to win the AFC West that isn't named the Chiefs
01:22in like a decade?
01:24They should be back.
01:25They should be back.
01:27They upgraded their roster.
01:28Remember, they had arguably the best defense in the NFL last year.
01:31We don't talk about that enough because, you know,
01:32Bo Nix is coming back from that ankle injury that he suffered in the playoffs
01:36and this and that.
01:38But defensively, they're so stacked.
01:40When you've got a D-line with, you know, Nick Benito and Derek Allen
01:43and all these guys you can get after the quarterback
01:45and a secondary with Pat Sertan and Talanoa Hufunga,
01:49I mean, that's the strength of their team.
01:50I mean, that's really, you know, a good team.
01:53And then they add Jalen Waddell, right?
01:56This was a team that likes to throw a lot of play action deep shots,
02:00but they didn't have the burner to go do it.
02:03Now they've got the burner.
02:04And the one thing about Waddell is we saw him in those kind of timing,
02:07catch-and-run scenarios down in Miami.
02:10Now he can go.
02:11They've got him in Courtland Sutton.
02:13They've got, you know, Evan Ingram at tight end.
02:14So I think the Broncos are going to be right there.
02:18And, you know, the big question is, remember,
02:20Davis Webb is now calling plays, not Sean Payton.
02:22You know, at some point, Sean may get, you know,
02:25the itch he needs to scratch.
02:27So we'll see how that works out.
02:31I like – I think it's good when the Broncos are really good
02:34because I think that fan base is incredible
02:36and they've had so much great play over the years.
02:41I'm going to just kind of bounce around, right?
02:43Because out in California, we're seeing these highlights come from Cowboys camp
02:48and you look at the pieces that offense has, and that's very, very real, right?
02:52Dak locked in, CD, pick-ins, the run game was strong last year.
02:57Do you believe the Cowboys could actually contend?
03:00They've added some pieces to that defense,
03:02or do you think it's just more Jerry Jones, hype, hope, whatever you want to call it?
03:07I mean, they should.
03:09And first off, let's throw this warning out there to everyone listening.
03:12Don't get excited about the videos.
03:14See, now they're not in pads most of the time.
03:16I mean, there's a ton of – there's like 450 million all-pro offseason guys.
03:21So let's wait until they get into the pads.
03:23But Dallas is loaded, but offense isn't their issue.
03:27I mean, they could score points.
03:28That wasn't their problem last year.
03:30As you mentioned, the run game got so much better.
03:34We've got Pickens and CD Lamb at wide receiver.
03:36Dak is a very good quarterback.
03:38It's their defense, and we know they added some pieces.
03:42They drafted Caleb Downs at safety.
03:45They made some moves on the defensive front to try to fortify things.
03:48So that's the issue.
03:50If they can stop the run and get teams in third and long, you know, the good things,
03:55the good fundamental things that good teams do, they're going to be right in it
03:58because, as usual, the NFC East is wide open.
04:01Yeah.
04:03We'll get to the – let's pull that thread then.
04:06Do you think the NFC East is wide open because you don't have as much faith in Philly
04:10as good as they've been the last couple seasons?
04:13I've got faith in Philly, but, you know,
04:15they're still like that team that's one injury away.
04:19I know most teams are, but we saw last year when that offensive line got nicked,
04:22what happened.
04:23They just were not the same football team on either side of the ball.
04:29So I think that they are the best team in terms of being established,
04:34having the best culture, having the best expectations.
04:37But, boy, I mean, you know,
04:39if one of those offensive linemen goes down again, they're lean.
04:42They're lean.
04:43So that's kind of the issue.
04:45And defensively, they don't have the depth that they've had in previous years,
04:49but they're still the most overall talented roster.
04:52We'll see how they're new.
04:53Like every team in the NFC East, it seems like they've got a new play caller,
04:56you know, a lot of guys on the coaching staff.
04:59So we'll see how that works out as well.
05:01Yeah.
05:01I mean, I think Harbaugh in New York raises the floor for the Giants,
05:06but I think they're still like a year away.
05:10Do you think the Giants can be – it's the NFL.
05:12One of the reasons we love it, there's always surprise teams.
05:16Yep.
05:16Do you think – because the excitement in Giants' fandom is very legitimate.
05:21Do you think the Giants could be a surprise team,
05:23like a surprise wild card or something?
05:25I do.
05:26I mean, look at the talent, especially on that defense.
05:28Yeah, you know, they got rid of Dexter Lawrence, and that's a huge blow.
05:33But they got dudes.
05:35Like, they've got players.
05:37They've got talent.
05:39A lot of it is very young talent.
05:42A lot of it is unproven talent.
05:43But if Jackson Dart can stay on the field and Malik Neighbors can stay on the field,
05:49they've got some guys where they can get it together and be very serious.
05:55Like, you know in training camp right now, John Harbaugh is burying those guys.
05:58I mean, that's one thing they got to get used to.
06:00I mean, the Ravens players would tell you he used to just drag them through
06:04a real tough training camp.
06:05And we'll see if those guys – yeah, we'll see if those guys have the metal
06:08to get through it.
06:09And if they do, that's a good start to establish, like you said,
06:12in the raising of the floor.
06:14It's funny.
06:15You know, there's some reporters, especially here in the DMV,
06:17that will kind of hit both Commander's camp and Ravens camp and have for years.
06:22And I was talking with somebody who had already been up in Baltimore
06:24for a few sessions, and he was telling me, he's like, dude,
06:27it is so different to see the Baltimore Ravens have an 80-minute practice
06:31compared to Harbaugh going three hours.
06:34Do you think – like, there's a lot of belief that Baltimore just rebounds
06:39immediately from a down season last year.
06:42What do you make of the Ravens?
06:43Like, what do you make of Lamar bounce back and that defense bouncing back
06:47and just the Ravens being a real Super Bowl contender again?
06:52First of all, I've got no concerns about Lamar.
06:54Yeah.
06:55Right?
06:56He's established.
06:57You know, he's just that good.
06:59But you've got to see how the new offensive coordinator comes in,
07:02Declan Doyle, and how they've got the relationship.
07:05But more than anything, the relationship between the play caller
07:07and the quarterback is the most important thing.
07:09They'll run the plays and do all that, but it's that relationship.
07:11So we'll see how that goes.
07:14My big concern with the Ravens is, you know, I think,
07:17is their wide receivers.
07:18Like, Zay Flowers is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL,
07:21but what do you got for me after that?
07:23Right?
07:23Their tight end group is different.
07:25You know, Isaiah Likely is with Harbaugh up with the Giants.
07:28And then you've got the three interior linemen that they've got to kind of
07:31settle in on.
07:32I mean, this is going to be a good football team.
07:36I think the new head coach up there, Jesse Minter, is fantastic.
07:39He is a great defensive-minded, brilliant-minded guy.
07:44I was with him in the past couple of years out here in L.A.
07:46with the Chargers, incredibly sharp.
07:48There will be some guys on defense who will pop.
07:51And them getting Nnamdi Matabike back, man, if he's anywhere near what he used
07:55to be, that changes things for that defensive front.
07:57So I think defensively, they'll absolutely be better.
08:01Just wondering, again, how they're going to hit some of the on-schedule
08:05explosive plays and if that wide receiver group can step up.
08:08Absolutely.
08:09We are talking with Steve Weiss, chief national reporter for NFL Network.
08:13You can give him a follow at Weiss89.
08:16I'm always watching.
08:17I love the insiders on NFL Network.
08:20I love during camp just that you guys kind of whip around everywhere and have the
08:23information.
08:24And it is really cool.
08:25I noticed that you can now get the NFL Network on the ESPN app.
08:30So it's cool to see them working.
08:32And tomorrow we'll be crazy at every NFL training camp.
08:35I'll be in Ashburn, but I know every facility out there is going to be packed for Welcome
08:39Back Saturday.
08:40Dude, I want to get into the Commanders, but I did want to bring this up.
08:43I've been meaning to bring this up on air anyway.
08:45And you're the perfect person to bring it up to.
08:49We have, Beamish and I have become proud supporters of the Howard basketball team.
08:54We had Coach Blakeney in studio with us.
08:56Yeah.
08:57I know you're a proud Howard alum.
08:58We had so much fun with Coach in studio.
09:01And dude, honestly, Howard gave Michigan their best game of the entire NCAA tournament.
09:06They did.
09:07It's crazy.
09:08They did.
09:08It was, yeah, it was great.
09:10I mean, it was one of those things where you knew at some point Michigan size and just
09:13overall talent was going to wear Howard down for that first half.
09:16Michigan was on the ropes, man.
09:18I was so proud of those guys.
09:19But, you know, when you roll out there as a smaller school with, you know, six or seven
09:23guys who are 6'5", and you're going up against all these 6'8", and 6'9", and 6'10
09:26guys
09:27eventually gets to you.
09:28Right.
09:29Well, dude, this is even crazier, Steve.
09:31As a kid, I lived in North Carolina, and I went to Duke basketball camp, and Blakeney was
09:36one of my counselors, like when I was.
09:38Yeah.
09:39You know that's his own, right?
09:40It's crazy, right?
09:42But, dude, are you going to come to town?
09:43So Howard's having a first annual Dream Factory golf tournament at Woodmont Country Club, which
09:48is a tremendous track, August 24th.
09:51We're trying to figure out what training camp schedules, if Beamich and I can get over there.
09:55Will you come to town for that?
09:57I will not be there.
09:58I'm sure I will be neck deep in NFL training camp, and plus my golf game, I've got to get
10:05one of my shoulders replaced, so I am stuck, basically, to the putt-putt range.
10:09So that's where we are.
10:10Well, if anybody's interested in that golf tournament, check out the Howard Men's Basketball
10:15website.
10:15They've got the information, and you can buy a slot.
10:18Good chance to play Woodmont, too, which is a tough track to get on.
10:21It's a very private course.
10:22All right.
10:23Let's talk some commanders, because you've mentioned a few different times the most important
10:27relationship in this sport is the quarterback and the play caller.
10:31Well, Washington's got the quarterback in Jaden Daniels, and they've got a new play caller
10:35in David Blau.
10:36What do you think of that relationship?
10:39Well, I mean, they've kept them together.
10:41This is not like it's brand new.
10:43It's not like you're cracking the seal on the bottle.
10:46I mean, they've been together for a while, and I think that's one of the reasons why Blau
10:51got the job.
10:51The trust, the relationship that they have, communication is everything.
10:57So, you know, we'll see.
10:59Again, the play design will be what it is.
11:01We'll, you know, they'll have to figure out, you know, what that passing game is going to
11:05look like.
11:06Is it going to be timing?
11:07Is it going to be kind of scramble, drill, big plays?
11:09You know, because one thing you found out last year is Jaden Daniels covered up a lot
11:12of warts in that offense.
11:15So, there'll be some things offensively that'll be more unpredictable, I think, and I think
11:19that's going to be significant.
11:21But, again, the explosive plays in the NFL are everything right now, and where is that
11:26going to come from in Washington?
11:28Like, who is your explosive guy other than Terry McLaurin?
11:32And that's what they've got to figure out, and that's what they've got to take advantage
11:35of so they don't put too much on Jaden Daniels, again, to cover up any warts that pop up.
11:40It is remarkable, and I wonder that, too.
11:44I've been watching this offense kind of going back to OTAs, and it is really exciting, and
11:50it looks a lot like the more successful offenses you see in the NFL.
11:55I think you've got McLaurin.
11:58Where do you think things are with Steph Diggs?
12:01Great question.
12:03I really don't know.
12:04I mean, the commanders are absolutely playing things close to the vest.
12:07I'd have him in there right now.
12:09If Steph Diggs is healthy and everything is good to go, I'd get him in because the
12:14guy is a consistent 1,000-yard receiver.
12:17I mean, he came off a knee injury and put up more than 1,000 last year in New England,
12:21a team that ran the football.
12:23Look at Drake May, as great as he was.
12:26I think he only had like one 300-yard passing game.
12:29They were just an efficient passing game.
12:30You put him with Jaden Daniels, you know, who's more the scramble drill, the explosive play.
12:35I just think it opens up everything.
12:37He's just that good.
12:38But you know Diggs is from the DMV.
12:42And receivers at his age are always kind of on a prove it, let me show you who I am
12:46type
12:46of guy.
12:48So, you know, I don't know.
12:50I haven't spoken to Adam Peters or DQ or anybody in the building to see where things stand with
12:54that.
12:54But the fact that he's still unemployed and out there, it would be very tempting for me.
13:01I agree with you, man.
13:03I'm almost to the point where I think it happens.
13:06And there's moving parts.
13:08I think Kansas City would make a ton of sense for Diggs as well.
13:11I mean, you look at that receiving room, there's a lot of question marks, but I don't know that
13:16you saw this.
13:16And obviously, this isn't national news, and it might be a nothing burger.
13:19But Trey Burks, who there has been real excitement about, that's a former first-rounder with a lot
13:24of talent, he had an incredible touchdown catch day one at training camp.
13:28And then day two, he's down for the day with foot soreness.
13:31Like, injuries have been his issue throughout his career.
13:34I mean, that's his history.
13:36That's his M.O.
13:38You know, that's just...
13:39Look, he's an incredibly talented guy.
13:41I remember going back to college, I was like, man, this is one of the best players I've seen
13:44coming out in the draft.
13:45Can't stay on the field.
13:47And, you know, unfortunately, guys who kind of have that track record, it pops up over
13:52and over again.
13:54And, you know, I'm hoping the best for Trey Burks.
13:57He's still young.
13:57I think he's a dynamic talent, but it is all about his durability.
14:02Totally agree, man.
14:04Defensively in Washington, they added a lot.
14:06Watching Odafoe now for a few days, that dude is a beast.
14:10He's got...
14:11He could go, man.
14:12And Durante Jones, I'm guessing just with his long NFL career, you've crossed paths with
14:18him.
14:18Maybe not.
14:19But what do you think of Durante Jones getting this opportunity and Washington desperately
14:25needing to turn their defense around?
14:27Well, I mean, look, it's good for Durante Jones.
14:29He's earned it.
14:30You know, he spent the past couple years with Brian Flores in Minnesota.
14:33And so, you know, they are going to get off the bus, running games, blitzing, doing things
14:41like that.
14:41I think that's why they stacked that linebacker room in the way they did.
14:44I mean, getting Leo Chanel, that's like every year there's understated free agent acquisitions.
14:50That's one for Washington.
14:51Because this is a dude, he can run.
14:54He can bang.
14:56He's pretty good in coverage.
14:58So, now the one thing when I look at Washington's defense is they've got three linebackers who
15:03are technically off-ball linebackers.
15:05But one of them can spy.
15:07Okay, and if you have linebackers who can spy a Jalen Hurts, who can spy a Dak Prescott
15:11and spy a Jackson Dart, you can do things in the secondary that you couldn't do before
15:16if you're having a safety or a nickel corner be the spy.
15:19Right.
15:19Right?
15:20So, now you've got Sonny Stiles who can go.
15:21You've got Leo Chanel who can go.
15:22You've got Frankie Louvoo.
15:23So, I think they're going to be very forward-moving.
15:26In terms of you hear a lot of this expression out there, oh, they're going to be a downhill
15:29defense.
15:30They've got the players to do it.
15:31But, you know, you mentioned, you know, O-Way.
15:34Guys like, they've got guys who can move forward and get after the quarterback.
15:39And I think that's going to be the change in defensive tempo that you see.
15:44As long, again, as they can get teams, first and second down has been an issue for them
15:49the past couple years.
15:51You get those teams in third and known passing situations, those guys are going to cause big-time
15:55problems.
15:56Yeah, absolutely.
15:57Talking with our friend Steve Weiss from NFL Network, you can give him a follow at
16:01Weiss89, W-Y-C-H-E-89.
16:07There's a ton of excitement in every NFL city right now.
16:11I think there's a lot of it in Washington.
16:13I did, I followed you on Twitter and was looking at your profile.
16:17You did retweet George Kittle talking about Debo re-signing with the Niners.
16:22Yep.
16:22The Niners are always interesting.
16:25There's always so much interest.
16:26You have this Kyle Shanahan car accident thing.
16:29You have a team with a ton of talent, but I think it's fair to say aging talent.
16:34And you've got the Niners competing with the Rams and the Seahawks.
16:38What do you make of the team by the Bay?
16:42They're going to be good.
16:44They're going to be good again.
16:45I mean, their whole thing is injuries.
16:47I mean, no team and every season gets ravaged by injuries like the 49ers.
16:54You know, who knows if it's that electrical substation out there.
16:57And we know the conspiracy theory.
16:59But, you know, getting Debo back, it's a familiar face.
17:03It's someone, you know, with Ricky Pearsall, their former first-round traffic wide receiver,
17:08much like Traylon Burks, just staying on the injury report.
17:11They had to get someone who can help out the offense.
17:14They know Debo can also play some running back and spare Christian McCaffrey.
17:18I mean, Christian McCaffrey had eight million touches last year.
17:22And you just don't know if he can do that with his injury history, you know, again this year.
17:26So, I think the Niners would be good.
17:28Them defensively getting Nick Bosa back and getting Fred Warner back.
17:32Trey Greenlaw coming back, you know, from Denver.
17:35It's kind of the reunion tour of what's going on, of ex-players coming back to San Francisco
17:40with Greenlaw and Debo Samuel and injured players coming back.
17:44If they stay healthy, they're right there.
17:46I mean, they're a nemesis for the Rams.
17:48I mean, Kyle's got that huge record against McVay.
17:50They're a big problem, you know, for Seattle.
17:54So, it's the best division top to bottom in the NFL.
17:59And the Niners are our main reason why.
18:02I agree.
18:03They've been so good with Kyle out there.
18:06You know, if you want to knock him for not winning the big one, I mean, the guy's been
18:09to two Super Bowls in what, probably about 10 years?
18:13It's a pretty good track record.
18:15I'm going to tell you my Super Bowl prediction.
18:17You can tell me if I'm crazy.
18:19I have a rematch from a few years back.
18:22And this time, Joe Burrow holds the Lombardi.
18:25I got the Bengals beating the Rams.
18:27That's a great...
18:28I love that.
18:29I love that because the Bengals, man...
18:31Dexter Lawrence?
18:34Dexter Lawrence.
18:35Just some of the defensive moves they made overall.
18:37I mean, they came in with a plan.
18:38It's the first time it seems like in decades we've seen the Bengals be this aggressive
18:44in bringing in an important talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
18:49So, they are going to be an incredibly dangerous football team.
18:52Joe Burrow is my favorite quarterback in the NFL, him and Mahomes.
18:56But just that Kobe killer in them.
18:58The Rams?
18:59I mean, come on.
19:00Especially...
19:01And then if you've got 99 coming back, as we all expect.
19:03You're in L.A.
19:04Do you think that's going to happen?
19:05I do.
19:06Wow.
19:07I do.
19:07I mean, it's...
19:09Everything I hear is that he is putting in so much work.
19:13We know he's always going to lift weights.
19:14I mean, the guy's father was a bodybuilder.
19:16Aaron Donald's been lifting since he's been like 10, 11 years old.
19:19But he's putting in the on-field work.
19:21He is training in pads to see if his body, if he can get to the point where he can
19:28practice
19:28every day.
19:29And I would not be surprised if in the next couple weeks, if that long, if we hear about
19:35Aaron Donald stepping back on the field.
19:37His whole thing from people I talk to is, can I do it like I did it?
19:42And can my body hold up?
19:43Because he wasn't a guy who was injured, who felt beat up, or things like that.
19:48He just gave it his all every day.
19:49And if he feels he can come back and give it his all every day, especially in practice,
19:54he's going to be there.
19:55And he's going to be a significant contributor to a D-line that is already loaded.
19:59Loaded.
19:59I mean, Miles Garrett, Kobe Turner, Byron Young.
20:02You've already got 40 sacks out of those three players.
20:06And they've got an emerging tackle, Braden Fisk, as well.
20:09Wow.
20:10Steve, I feel like we could do this for hours.
20:12I really appreciate you making time for us.
20:14We'll be watching tomorrow for Welcome Back Saturday.
20:17We'll be watching.
20:18We'll be reading everything.
20:20Appreciate you making time, dude.
20:22No, thanks for having me on.
20:23I appreciate it.
20:23All right.
20:24The great Steve Weish.
20:26Make sure you give him a follow at Weish89, W-Y-C-H-E-89.
Comments