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OPPOSITION TERRITORY: Las Vegas Raiders · The Philadelphia Sports Table | Philly Sports News & Views

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What's up, everybody. It's Jeff. Welcome to this Opposition Territory podcast.
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I wanted to let you know that we recorded this show on Tuesday, June
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eleven, twenty twenty four. By the time you hear this, some things
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may have changed here or there, but we hope you enjoy the show.
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All right, everybody, welcome to Opposition Territory here at the PST podcast show,
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the longest running weekly Philly sports podcast show in the world. That's right
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over eleven years strong. We got a great Opposition Territory pod come in your
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way this week. Haven't gotten into the Las Vegas Raiders too too much,
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quite frankly, over the course of this past year, but we got a
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great guest coming your way to talk about this team's offseason and what we could
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expect from this team in a very interesting competitive division for sure. So let's
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get to our disc question this week right now. It is great to have
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back on the podcast to get into the Las Vegas Raiders coming to us from
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Silver and Black Pride. You know, we love our Espanation sites out there.
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And he also does a lot of work over at Bleacher Report as well.
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In terms of the NFL Draft He's got a lot of knowledge when it
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comes to pro football. It's why we wanted to bring him on. We
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have got the one, the only we've got, Matt Holder. How you
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doing, Buddy? Doing pretty well? I appreciate the the intro there.
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I don't know, it makes me feel, makes me feel more special in
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it. That is aerio, Buddy. I gotta tell you right now,
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Matt Like, it's been really interesting this offseason looking at the AFC West and
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we're gonna get into the AFC West again because I think it's a very very
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interesting division. But I really wanted to reflect on last season for a moment
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before getting into what we're gonna see from this Las Vegas Raiders team here in
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twenty twenty four. I mean, I can remember numerous winnable games that the
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Raiders just let slip through their grasp this past season, a bunch of one
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score games that could have really tilted in their favor here and there. How
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would you assess when you reflect on last season, how would you assess you
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know, the twenty twenty three year for the team and the organization and then
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inevitably where they're at today. And I guess that question really being can they
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start to get over that hump? What are your thoughts here? Yeah,
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I mean the way I look at the twenty twenty three version of the Raiders.
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So there was basically two seasons. There was the first half of the
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season where Josh McDaniels was there for those eight games and kind of being the
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head coach, and like you said, there was a lot of games that
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they should have won that they lost, and to be honest with you,
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it was a pretty morbid outlook. I think everyone right up until or when
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Josh McDaniel got fired was pretty down on the team and their future outlook and
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looked like they were playing with like no direction or anything like that, and
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make sense that the players really didn't want to play for him, yep,
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And that got even that spoke even or got even louder when he got fired,
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and you know, you had guys like Demante Adams literally mocking Josh McDaniel
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in the locker room and video like that servicing. And then Antonio Piers took
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over for those nine games and they ended up going five and four beat the
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Chiefs for the last team to beat the Chiefs, and it wasn't the prettiest
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game in the world. But hey, win win over the defending champs and
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two times champs now is as nothing to hang or nothing to scoff at or
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anything like that. So I think there's definitely a more positive and optimistic future
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outlook with the Raiders now that Antonio Pierce is going over. But of course
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I'm sure we'll get into this. The big the big question is what's gonna
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do it. What's gonna happen at quarterback? You know, in the NFL,
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if you if you have a question work at that position, it's a
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it's tough to overcome, and it's tough to really predict predict what the season
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can be. But you know, I think with Piers taking over and with
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guys like Max Crosby taking it to another level, Malcolm Coonz, who I
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think is a little more under the radar finishing the season strong last year and
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a lot of contribute contribute contributions from a lot of defensive defensive players last year,
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it's more optimistic than it was when the Josh McDaniels era was going on.
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And you know, as far as a quarterback situation, like I mentioned,
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is a big question mark. But whoever's gonna take over have a heck
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of a lot of weapons to throw to with the demonte Adams Jakobe Myers would
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proved to be a good number two, absolutely tight ends Mayor and brock Bowers.
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Yeah, and that's the one thing that really amazes me with certain NFL
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teams, and quite frankly the Raiders being one of them, that they have
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an incredible amount of offensive weapons. They have a dec of defense that is
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performing very very well, especially this past year. And we're going to get
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into that a little bit more. But for some reason, there are certain
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teams out there that just struggle with the quarterback position. And look, I
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mean, getting that franchise quarterback it's not the easiest thing in the world at
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all. I mean, I remember, Matt, when you came on the
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podcast for the first time back in August of twenty twenty one. Back then
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we were talking about Derek Carr, and today we're talking about Aidan O'Connell and
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Garden Minshew is certainly in the mix, and you can see or he could
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see some playing time I think this season perhaps, I mean when it comes
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to aid and O'Connell, a lot of folks still really don't necessarily know who
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he is as a quarterback on the field, Matt so like, Look,
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he was a fourth round pick in twenty twenty three, twelve touchdowns, seven
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interceptions last season. Can you kind of get into Aidan O'Connell here for us
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for our listeners and his profile a bit as it pertains to you know,
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the type of quarterback that he's going to be this coming season. Yeah,
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aight, O'Connell's definitely a little bit more like that pocket passer who's more accurate
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than than a strong on quarterback. If that kind of if you can kind
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of pick up when I'm putting down there a little bit of yep, you
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know, he's not a guy who's gonna be bombing it down the field and
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whatnot. But he is precise and he can be a good decision maker.
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Part of that last year was part of his issues druggles last year was with
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that decision making where he kind of went back and forth, which typical for
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rookie. But I think him getting you know, ten starts last year on
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her his belt was it's going to be tremendous for his development. You know,
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if I had to pick between those two, between him and Gardner Minshew
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for who's gonna win that quarterback battle. My money's on Aidan O'Connell, just
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because there is a little bit more of the unknown that's that's with him where
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he could end up being a decent player. I think in the preseason last
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year he was one of the standouts across the entire league when it came to
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quarterbacks. And then again last season, I don't think he played bad.
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It was just one of those things where he didn't play good enough to make
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you think, oh, this is the guy of the future, and not
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sign a guy like Gardner Minshew and not being the quarterback discussion in the draft,
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which obviously didn't come to fruition with the store up run we had.
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But you know, I definitely I like Adan O'Connell's potential. Again, I'm
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not completely sold on him being the franchise guy, but I do think he
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can beat out Gardner Minshew and as a little bit higher ceiling than him,
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yes, and can help help take this offense. But I think the biggest
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thing is just being more consistent, which again a lot of rookie struggled with
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consist consistency, especially at that position, so I think some more experience will
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help him out, and I do think the arrow was pointing out for him.
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So maybe I'm a little bit too much of an optimistic fan, but
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I like where he's where he's headed, and we'll see how this the season
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goes out. In this training camp battle play. Yeah, well, Matt,
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you never know what can happen with quarterbacks that are just starting out in
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the NFL. Look at what happened with CJ. Stroud last year. Now,
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I'm not comparing Aie O'Connell to CJ. Stroud by any stretch of the
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imagination, but sometimes it takes that light switch moment for quarterbacks, for cornerbacks,
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linebackers, defensive ends, whoever it is. Sometimes it takes that light
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switch moment in order for them to actually have things click in their heads,
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understand the game, understand what's in front of them, how to process and
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then move forward. It seems to me that aide and O'Connell may actually have
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some characteristics within himself where he is able to may actually get that light switch
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moment perhaps this year. Like you said, you know, he may not
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be the franchise quarterback, and we're not going to know that for a while.
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We don't have a crystal Ball. But I think his certain tangibles that
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he does have, you know, coming out and again being drafted in the
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fourth round, not necessarily a high draft pick that year. However, there
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are certain tangibles he has where I think he could be successful in this league.
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Yeah, I mean definitely. I think, like you said, I
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think the decisiveness and the decision making that he's shown was pretty good for a
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rookie quarterback. And I think that's a big part of it. And accuracy
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too, is often overlooked, and you know, we get enamored with the
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quarterbacks with the big arms, and that's important too, But so it's being
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able to put the ball where you want it and put it in the perfect
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spot. And I think that's where he kind of he can hang his hat
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a little bit better, a little bit on and you know, hopefully make
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a career out of for himself in the NFL. Matt, where can folks
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find you on Twitter? Slash X if they want to follow you? There?
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Tell everybody where they can follow you. Yeah, you can follow me
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on Twitter or X whatever it's called nowadays. At m Holder ninety five obviously
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posts a bunch of Raiders stuff, but like we said in the beginning.
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I do a lot of draft stuff too with the Bleach Report and get some
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clips up there, especially once the spring rolls around in that time of year.
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Yeah, very good, very good. Well sticking with the offense here,
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and you know, I think some of these new rookies for the Raiders
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are going to be really interesting to watch, specially Brock Bauers tight end drafted
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in the first round and then guard Jackson Powers Johnson in the second round.
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Definitely talent that is needed on the offensive line, and I think Powers Johnson
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really gives them that boost for sure, whether it's these players or someone else.
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From an offensive perspective, Matt, who will you keep your eyes on
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during the mini camps that are going on this week and then training camp as
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well once we start getting into August. Who are some of those offensive players
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that you're really gonna be keeping your eyes on. I mean, I think
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you hit the nail right on the head with the offensive line. I think
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that's one of the big question marks with the Raiders going into this year.
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You know, they have Colton Miller Andre James coming back, but those are
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pretty Dylan Parham as well coming back. But Parham switching from left guard to
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right guard, which I think is a little bit better for him, a
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little more natural. And then JPJ is expected to fill in at that left
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guard spot, but he played center in college, so it'd be interesting to
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see how he made that transition. Did play some guard a little bit in
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his first two years at Oregon, but was primarily there at center. And
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then big question is they are month for two at right tackle. I'm excited
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to see what they are Munford can bring. He's another guy I think he's
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the era was pointing up up on, but he has, you know,
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limited starting experience, and he's going into his third season, which for most
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guys, that's a that's a pretty pivotal year. It's kind of a make
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or break season for him, and he's going to be pretty much the unquestioned
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starter at right tackle, barring maybe like a Undreds Pete coming out of nowhere
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and stepping his game up. And I don't know what year ten for Pete,
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which seems pretty unlikely. So yeah, there's offensive line and they have
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a lot of question works and that's definitely something that I'm gonna be paying attention
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to it and kind of keeping my attention during during training camp to go along
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with that quarterback battle. Of course, absolutely, consistency. Consistency and consistency
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is what this coaching staff from an offensive perspective is going to need to really
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help with this team and really build that culture of consistency and what that may
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look like. But I wanted to shoot over to the defensive side of things
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here now within our discussion here, Matt. Defensively, the Raiders are pretty
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pretty solid year, or I should say they had a solid ye this past
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year after tons of years of just ineptitude from a defensive standpoint. I mean
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last year they finished fourth and waited DVA in the NFL. The defensive line
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really took some steps forward. I mean, even former Eagle and safety Marcus
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Epps, who it was sad to lose him. We saw what happened in
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the safety position here in Philadelphia. He was consistent throughout the season. A
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treyvon mohrigg. He really came on strong towards the end of last season as
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well. How do you see this defense overall heading into this coming season.
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Seems to be a decent amount of momentum. I don't know, do you
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see further growth perhaps maybe taking a step back here or there with regard to
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certain units. How are you looking at this defense moving forward here in twenty
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twenty four. Yeah, I mean, like you said, I think they
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finished what was it, fourth in DVA wain DVA last season, So it's
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gonna be hard to get better than that. You know, obviously there's only
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three spots to go from there, right, they gotta do it. Though
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they could do it. They could. They could, they could, that's
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for sure. I do think though they they cannot lead, like maintain that
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level. I give Patrick Graham a ton of credit for what he did with
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the team last year. I mean, if you looked at that that roster
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before heading into the season, I don't think you would have thought they would
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have been anywhere near the top five, let alone one of the better defenses
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than in the league last year for those metrics. So I give him a
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ton of credit. I think he's done a fabulous job and in year two
12:20
picking up or really kind of turning things around after after it was a tough
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year that was in his first season't this defensive coordinator that was filled with a
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lot of injuries And I think you know, we talked about it a little
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bit with with Max Crosby and Malcolm Konz. They also added a guy in
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Christian Wilkins who ended up being one of the best defensive tackles to hit the
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the open market, and I'm I'm really excited to see what him and him
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and Max Crosby can do on the same offensive or defensive line, excuse me
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together, because you put those two guys on the same side, you got
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to pick one on them one on one block, and both of those guys
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can both those guys can eat up one on one blocks. And you can't
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forget about Malcolm Konz who finished with the eight sacks and the teams last nine
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games last year. So they've got a lot of talent back there. The
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biggest question mark is going to be the secondary. You know, obviously the
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safeties are good, like you mentioned Mergan Apps, I think both those guys
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played pretty well last year. Yeah, but at cornerback, especially on the
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outside, they're pretty young and they're pretty inexperienced right now. Jack Jones is
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their their cornerback one and kind of their unquestioned quarterback one, which Jones as
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five NFL starts. He had a good finish to the last year, especially
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after the Raiders picked them up. Yeah, I was gonna ask you about
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Jones because he seems to be their best cornerback right now heading into this season,
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and it's kind of like, oh, boy, man, maybe maybe
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a little thin there in terms of the depth. Yeah, definitely, definitely.
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I mean I've been I've been sitting here pounding the table for them to
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sign Stefan Gilmore and wanted them to bring you on Steven Nelson, who ended
13:41
up retiring, but apparently they and apparently they reached out to him. But
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yeah, that was That's one spot where you know, I look at this
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going into training camp where I'm kind of like, I would like to see
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them bring in again a guy like Gilmore, because at this point in the
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year, I can't imagine he'd be too expensive, and they have about forty
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million dollars in cap space. I know, I'm sure part of that they
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wanted to use to extend extend guys on the defensive side of the ball.
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But at the same time, you know, I don't think it would be
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a situation where, hey, you bring this guy in and I know he's
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old and injured and maybe he's not the same player he once was, but
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if you end up cutting him, what's the what's the real loss? We
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bring him in on a cheap one year deal and at least you, at
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least you can check that box and you know that you have a little more
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confidence in your secondary that they could beat out a guy that was a defensive
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Player of the Year five years ago, but could at least be a at
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least potentially be a contributor for you and a starter for you on the back
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end. But yeah, that's the biggest question mark going into this going into
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the season for sure. And I wonder if that, Yeah, I wonder
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if the biggest question mark you have right there. I wonder if that is
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going to segue nicely into this next topic, which are the weaknesses within this
14:45
defense? I mean, we've talked about some of the strengths of this defense
14:48
as well coming in this season, but in terms of the weaknesses, I
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mean, no team is perfect in the NFL, No defense is perfect.
14:54
We know that. So where do you where? Where is your biggest concern
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in terms of weakness on the defensive side of the ball. Is it the
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cornerback position that we were just talking about, or is it someplace else?
15:05
No, it's absolutely cornerback. Okay, you know, just looking at this
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team and in general, I'm almost I'm almost more nervous about the cornerback situation
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than I am quarterback. I mean, you know, I feel like the
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most important Yeah, absolutely, it's yeah, I was just saying, it's
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it's uh, it's it's a little scary, scary and a little skeptical of
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how that's gonna kinna shake out. I wanted to see them. You know,
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the guy that I thought they were gonna draft in the first round was
15:28
someone the Eagles got and Terry or excuse me, someone we went to Detroit
15:33
and Terry on Arnold, who was the first round pick. I wanted Terry
15:35
on Arnold, by the way, and then Mitchell ended up falling into laps
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and I was like, oh my gosh, yeah exactly, So that was
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kind of the that was what I thought they would get. No, don't
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get me wrong, I'm I'm ecstatic about getting brock Bowers, but uh,
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as far as a need need from the needs perspective, that would have definitely
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filled a bigger hole in this team. So yeah, that's definitely the sketchiest
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part about the defense. Good thing is quarterbacks aren't gonna have too long to
15:58
be able to throw with with those defensive linemen and pass rushers I just mentioned,
16:02
so well, that's what I was gonna get into before our last topic
16:04
here, Matt. The fact that those defensive pass rushers I think are going
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to be They're gonna recavoc I think within that particular division, Broncos, we
16:15
kind of know what you're gonna be facing when you see the Broncos at this
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point, well we kind of don't. They could be really really bad actually,
16:21
which which I mean that's your hope for sure, Chiefs of course,
16:25
Chargers, I'm telling you, opposing offenses in this division are gonna have one
16:30
hell of a time just containing that defensive line and containing that that pass rush.
16:36
There's gonna be a lot of guys on that defensive line being able to
16:38
get to the ball, specifically on run plays as well. It's gonna be
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really interesting to see what happens in terms of this division, in terms of
16:45
matchups as well. Again, we have no crystal ball, but how do
16:51
you see the dynamics of the division playing out given what we've just been talking
16:56
about, and can the Raiders possibly contend in this division and or you know,
17:00
for a potential wild card spot in your opinion, Yeah, I mean
17:03
I think with the division, uh, playing in the same division as the
17:07
backs back champs is tough. Uh. You know, the Chiefs are still
17:11
the Chiefs. They're still the king in the in the AFC West and and
17:14
really the NFL as a whole until someone knocks them off. So and as
17:18
long as they have a number fifteen back there, I'm probably gonna pick them
17:21
to win the division just to bout any time until the Raiders can can figure
17:23
it out under center. But you know the rest of the division and the
17:27
Raiders are kind of fitting this category too. Is it's a lot up in
17:30
the air. You know, you looked at the Broncos. I'm not very
17:33
high on the Broncos is coming in this year. I wasn't the biggest uh
17:37
Bo Knicks fan, you know. I thought he was a fine player.
17:40
I thought he was a good second round pick either. Yeah, not exactly
17:45
a top twelve guy. Granted, he still was the sixth quarterback off the
17:48
board in that regard. So crazy, I guess to take that for what
17:51
it is, so uh, And I mean I think if you look at
17:53
the Broncos too, Like they lost some players like Justin Simmons, who I
17:56
know is still available in free agency, but they didn't really gain anybody outside
18:00
in free agency this offseason. I think they had to get spent most of
18:03
it getting back into the end of the black, so to speak, as
18:06
far as cap space and whatnot. And then I look at the Chargers too,
18:10
and I keep saying this, if the Chargers had hired any other head
18:12
coach other than Jim Arbaugh, we'd be talking about them being in contention for
18:15
the number one pick this year. Yea, even with Justin Herbert at quarterback.
18:18
You know, I look at their you just look at their depth chart.
18:22
They have like so many questions about who's going to be their number one
18:26
receiver. Is it going to be Lad McConkie that was a rook that's a
18:27
rookie, Quin Johnston who's in the second year and struggled last year, or
18:32
Josh Palmer who's just kind of been just another guy throughout the majority of his
18:36
career. And I mean, if you just look at the just look at
18:38
the numbers. Getting rid of Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Eckler
18:41
for the last five years or so. That's basically the Chargers offense. That's
18:45
exactly all their production. I know they have know they've rebuilt the offensive line
18:48
and have some have some guys on defense that can recab it get like like
18:52
Clil Mack and Joey Bosa. But yeah, I don't. I'm just not
18:56
as high on their roster overall. But then again, they do have a
19:00
good head coach who has a pretty good track record coming off the national championship
19:03
at Michigan and had a ton of success right right out of the gate with
19:07
with the forty nine ers in a similar situation, So I get it a
19:11
little bit. But you know, I just look at that roster and think,
19:12
maybe maybe this isn't the the return of the NFL that a lot of
19:17
people are expecting for Harrbory that with just fout with how they're built. Well,
19:21
that's that's what I'm That's what I hope. I'm no horrorball fan.
19:22
For folks who listen to this podcast, they know that I am no no
19:26
horrorball fan by any stretch. But that olden state the yeah in the background,
19:33
So it makes sense absolutely absolutely, years and years of just pure hatred,
19:37
well With that being said again, folks, mad Holder. He is
19:41
from the Silver and Blackpride dot com, Silver and Blackpride dot com and also
19:48
Bleacher Report. Check out all of his material everything he and his colleagues are
19:51
doing a fantastic discussion. My friend, I would love to have you come
19:55
on the pod again down the road and let's talk more Raiders. I'd love
19:59
it, my friend, Absolutely spend time. That's going to do it for
20:03
us here on Opposition Territory this week. Please share our podcast with your friends
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