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Mac & Bone Show - Al Wallace Interview · Mac & Bone Podcast

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Our next guest is also played in the trenches, play
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: for your Carolina Panthers in the trenches, and he is
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: also going to tell you what he is thinking. He
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: is former Panther Al Wallace, and he joins us here
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: on the mac en Bone Show to talk Panthers. They
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: are about an hour away from getting that joint practice
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: going in Jacksonville. Al, how you been, man? What's going on?
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: What's up? Boys? I'm doing good man? How you guys been?
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: What's up out?
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: We're doing good man, We're doing good.
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: We are.
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: We are still dealing with Saturday's performance. A lot of
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: Panther fans losing their minds after that one. You know
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: what it's like to play in the preseason. You understand
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: this better than we do. Like when you watch that game,
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: did you come away like concerned about the Panthers or
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: would you tell us, hey, it's just it's just preseason.
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: There were a couple backup guards in. Everybody chill out.
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a lot right. So, I think the way
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: the NFL is set up, and certainly under Dave Canalis,
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: the way this team has performed or approached preseason is
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: different from a John Fox preseason. It was serious. He
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: wanted to go four and zero in preseason, and we
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: were passed to get out there and do that. Whether
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: it was the first team guys out there for ten
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: reps or the second and thirteen guys like myself who
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: were going to be out there the remainder of the game.
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: It was critical to go out there and perform like
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: you would in September and October. And when you watch
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: this team, at least last week, there was no sense
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: of urgency. It was kind of milling around. It didn't
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: look like a team that was prepared, and and you
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: don't game plan for preseason, but they weren't ready to
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: go out there and compete. And that's what you want.
• 1:44
  Speaker 2: You want the DNA, the identity of the Carolina Panthers
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: to push through no matter the situation, and that includes
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: a preseason game against a really good roster in the
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: Buffalo Bills.
• 1:55
  Speaker 3: Ow what spot on defense right now is more concerning
• 1:59
  Speaker 3: for you? This spot on the edge that was supposed
• 2:02
  Speaker 3: to be occupied by Scrton, or that linebacker spot next
• 2:05
  Speaker 3: to free agency ny Devin Lloyd.
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: I think the spot next to Devin Lloyd. We saw
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: those flashes, we saw while that money was spent well
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: at that middle linebacker position. Now, who's gonna fill that void?
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: Is it? Is it Wallace? You know, is it Chairless?
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: Is it one of those two guys who are in
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: that proverbial camp battle the edge? I think is fine
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: prince Ly Luma miell and you saw what he is
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: capable of doing. Is he gonna be guy that you
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: trust on first and second down to stop the run,
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: to get them to a third down situation? Opposite Jalen Phillips,
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: I'm not sure. You certainly lose a guy like Nick
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: Gordon and it's gonna hurt you a bit. And it's
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: just because of the lack of experience that Uma Miellen
• 2:48
  Speaker 2: is gonna bring. Cam gill is another guy that came
• 2:52
  Speaker 2: out and flashed out a sack in that preseason game.
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: So I'm more concerned about linebacker. That's been a spot
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: that is historically been a position of greatness for the Panthers.
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: In the last few years, you just haven't been able
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: to find that body in there that really stands up
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: to the historic names that have played in the middle
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: of the defense, the captains of the defense. So yeah,
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: I think linebacker is the one position right there on
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: that second level between what I think is a really
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: solid I would say, a good secondary in a defensive
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: front that has the potential to do some damage.
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: We're talking to former Panther d lineman Al Wallace talking
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: about your twenty twenty six Panthers. Al is a guy
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: who played on some great defenses here in Carolina. A
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: lot of US fans are so excited about these editions,
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: right Phillips and Devin Lloyd, and we believe, man, this
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: defense could be in the top ten in the league.
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: Do you think you know, I know they lost Gordon.
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: Do you agree? Do you think that they are going
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: to have that sort of season or would you tell
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: us to slow down a little bit? What do you think?
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that defense, when it gets all its pieces,
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: can have that type of season. Mac, Look, no doubt
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: about it. You get Derek Brown in there, Phillips coming
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: off the edge, you get a rotation of guys to
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: replace Nick Gorton and what he brought to the table.
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: We talked about Devin Lloyd and here's I think one
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: of the most underrated strengths of this entire football team.
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: That secondary is something that I'm glued to during the
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: football game with Mike Jack back there and j C. Horn,
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: and then you get some of the young guys and
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: the guys that have to get some more experience under
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: their belt to really round it all out. I think
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: good at the safety position, but two of the better
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: corners right that one of the better combos I think
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: in the NFL. And when you're really good on the
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: back end, you become so much better on the front end.
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: Trust me, because that's how my defense was built. Our
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: defense fed off the ability to just have time to
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: get to the quarterback because guys on the back end,
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: Dion Grant, you, Mike mentor those guy were so good
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: on the back end, they gave us an opportunity to
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: get after quarterback. So I think this unit is going
• 5:05
  Speaker 2: to play well together. We saw those flashes, but in
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: the preseason game, not having Derek Brown in the middle
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: alongside Jalen Phillips and Devin Lloyd on that second level,
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: you're not going to see the whole thing. But this
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: could be one of the better units, one of the
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: better strengths of this team going into this twenty twenty
• 5:23
  Speaker 2: sixth season.
• 5:24
  Speaker 3: Al As you're well aware of being a part of
• 5:27
  Speaker 3: this business, yourself for a very long time. Also, so
• 5:31
  Speaker 3: many discussions we have on Bryce Young day in, day out,
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: and it feels like right now there's almost three schools
• 5:37
  Speaker 3: of thought. Some think he can make a leap, there
• 5:40
  Speaker 3: are some that think he may be the same, and
• 5:43
  Speaker 3: there are some detractors that think he may regress. What's
• 5:46
  Speaker 3: your expectation for Bryce Young here in season four?
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: Yeah? What I do know, guys, what I know about
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: Bryce is he will improve. He is going to work
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: on something and we've seen it is there from year one,
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: Bryce Young holding the ball too much, getting sack way
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: too often, and some of that is not all his fault,
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: and then figuring it out who he wants to be right.
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: You add in the ability to run and get out
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: of the pocket, the capability, and I think going into
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: this year it's going to be combining all those things,
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: taking ptrol of this offense, having receivers and tight ends
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: that he believes in, and able to get the ball to. So, yes,
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: I think we'll continue to see the evolution of Bryce Young.
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: Now when does that go or talking about is he
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: in some type of MVP race? I don't think so.
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: I think he's good enough and he's proved that last
• 6:40
  Speaker 2: year with the way he led this team. So if
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: Bryce comes out and he's just as good as he
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: was last year, this team has a chance to win
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: the NFC South for back to back seasons and make another,
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: you know, make a playoff run. So I like Bryce.
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: I like how cerebral he is. I like how he
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: continues to add to his game, just little things he's
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: adding to his bag to improve as a quarterback. And
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: I fully expect when we get to Week one, game
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: one Chicago Bears in that building, we'll see a new wrinkle,
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: a new evolution of Bryce.
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: What do you think, like if you were running the
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: show right, Like, if you if Dan Morgan said, Al,
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: I'm gonna let you handle this Bryce contract situation, all right,
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: no prussure back. You know, he ain't gonna let me
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: and Bone do it. So we'll just we'll play this
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: game with Al. What would like what would Bryce have
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: to do in order to get that bag to get
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: paid this offseason?
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I think I'm gonna channel my inner
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: Cam Newton here, show me thirty two other guys that
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: are not already starting quarterbacks that you're gonna replace. It
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: is just so difficult in the NFL to go out
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: and find a starting quarterback, a guy like Bryce Syong,
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: a young quarterback like Bryce Shong. And I'm still gonna
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: feed into the fact that Bryce is young and maybe
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: not hit his stride because I'm looking at the Sam Donold's,
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: I'm looking at the Baker mayfields, and I know those
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: are comps that we can get that the light came
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: on at some point. I believe Bryce Young has that
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: skill set. I believe he is a better pure quarterback
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: than those guys. Has he been able to tap into
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: it quite yet the way they have probably not. I'm
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: gonna pay Bryce Young because I don't believe that I
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: want to get back in the pool, go back in
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: the search to try to replace a starting quarterback in
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: the NFL that has proved that he's capable of leading
• 8:30
  Speaker 2: and winning football games for your team. I'm sticking with
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: Bryce Young. If I'm Dan Morgan, give me the keys, Dan,
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: I'm paying him.
• 8:38
  Speaker 3: We had a listener question for you here, Alan, who
• 8:41
  Speaker 3: every once in a while we do this, Hey textter
• 8:43
  Speaker 3: wanted to know what do you put more stock in
• 8:45
  Speaker 3: what you see in the preseason games or what comes
• 8:49
  Speaker 3: out of the joint sessions like today versus Jacksonville.
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a game, right, tell me who the guy
• 8:57
  Speaker 2: is when the lights come on preseason or you talk
• 9:00
  Speaker 2: about these joint practices and it's something new. We rarely
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: did it when I was playing all those years ago,
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: early two thousands. It's still practice, it's still controlled. You're
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: not going to be able to do many of the
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: things that you would be able to. The intensity level
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: is more on showing improving the other guys across from
• 9:20
  Speaker 2: you in the other jerseys. As I'm watching some joint
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: practices with the Saints and the Cowboys, just it's fights.
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: It is just, you know, fifty three guys on both
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: ends poking out their chests trying to prove how tough
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: they are in a long camp practice. So show me
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: who a guy is under the lights in a real,
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: live game scenario, in real football situations. That's who you are.
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: That's the game. Practice is going to be practiced, And
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: I'm never going to put more stock and things that
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: are scripted and prepared by both sides as a guy
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: on the fly having to use his football instincts and
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: the skills that he's put together in practices. When I
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: turn on the film of the preseason. That's how I'm
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: evaluating my football team. And a hope now is does
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: the same thing.
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: All right, Last thing I've got to ask you, because
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: you played on great defenses, you played on some right
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: here in Carolina. Questions and comments we get all the time. Heck,
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: they were coming in after the preseason game about Averro's defense.
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: Anytime that there are cushions, it's gonna drive the guy
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: sitting on his couch and Panther gear crazy. And certainly
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: there were moments specifically where they were kind of soft
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: defensively late in games last year, including the playoff game
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: that drove fans crazy. You had the cushion also on
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: a fourth and three play the other day that drove
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: fans crazy. What would you say to us, is someone
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: that played in the NFL like, are the are these
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: cushions something that should upset fans? Or do you kind
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: of stand behind the scheme and the and the way
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: this defense plays in that respect?
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I love it. And this is how I know
• 11:03
  Speaker 2: Carolina Panthers football is back, and we're gonna start questioning
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: the vero. We're gonna look at the coverages and start
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: you know, Hey, if he doesn't get it done, is
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: this guy finally out of here? I love it. Listen,
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: I'll tell you this, Zero Vero is a really good
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: defensive coordinator. I think it just goes back to the
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: beginning of our conversation here this morning. Guys can these
• 11:29
  Speaker 2: three levels of the defense work together? And I don't
• 11:32
  Speaker 2: know that he has been able to go out and
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: roll his defensive out defense out with excellence at all
• 11:40
  Speaker 2: three levels. I think he has that this year, especially
• 11:43
  Speaker 2: with going and getting Phillips and you know the rest
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: of the guys to just round it out Devin Lloyd
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: on the second level. So yeah, I think there are
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: situations when you look at the Panthers. The reason why
• 11:54
  Speaker 2: they went and got Jalen Phillips is they did not
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: have a pass rush. So if I don't have a
• 11:59
  Speaker 2: pass rush, am I playing press coverage? Am I gonna
• 12:02
  Speaker 2: get in the guy's face if you miss? Which you
• 12:04
  Speaker 2: will because those guys on the other side get paid
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: to those wide receivers. Then you're cooked the balls down
• 12:10
  Speaker 2: the field and now you give up a bomb and
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: you're gonna say, hey, why are you so aggressive? In
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: those situations? He can't win, He's always set up in
• 12:18
  Speaker 2: a position to fail because that D line, that pass rush,
• 12:21
  Speaker 2: the pressure wasn't there. I gave praise to the back end.
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: Now it's time for Derek Brown, for Jalen Phillips, for
• 12:27
  Speaker 2: Princeville Lumamon Yellen to step up and be able to
• 12:30
  Speaker 2: create that pressure on the quarterback to take some of
• 12:34
  Speaker 2: the relief off of Mike Jack and JC. Where Vero
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: doesn't have to call coverages where they're in the cover four.
• 12:41
  Speaker 2: They're just trying to keep the top one. They're trying
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: to keep everybody in front of them and allow those
• 12:45
  Speaker 2: two big, physical quarterbacks to get in the faces of
• 12:49
  Speaker 2: wide receivers and compete at a higher level. It is
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: not the scheme. It is more personnel. And that's what
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: I've seen since Saverro is here. First it was does
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: he have the right personnel for a three for defense
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: and trying to get those guys in This may be
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: I believe this is the year that he has at all,
• 13:06
  Speaker 2: and I'm with everybody else. If it doesn't work this year,
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: good bad. No matter what my opinion is on the
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: zero Vero as a defensive coordinator, it may be time
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: to turn the page. Not because he is terrible just
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: because it just didn't work out and everything didn't come together.
• 13:22
  Speaker 2: But man, this is football. I love it. It is
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: more personnel for me than it's been about Vero scheme.
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: And it feels like the personnel is definitely the best
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: he's had here. Carolina. I can't wait to watch it. Al,
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: thanks for coming on. Appreciate you man, good stuff as always.
• 13:38
  Speaker 2: Yeah, man, the happy football. Can't wait to see you
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: guys up in the booths, man in the line getting
• 13:42
  Speaker 2: some food. I know.
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: I'm always from the Oh are you still you're gonna
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: be doing the stuff on, you know, with Clean City News,
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: the pregame stuff.
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: I'll still be there with these guys. You can't wait
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: to get everything kicked off. Heard you guys talking about
• 13:57
  Speaker 2: food for an entire segment. Uh, maybe I'm going to
• 14:01
  Speaker 2: get a honey butter biscuit or something.
• 14:03
  Speaker 3: By the way, I got a text from Brentson during
• 14:05
  Speaker 3: this seven upset at the guests, but not at Waltz.
• 14:08
  Speaker 3: Brentson was upset at the previous guests with his former teammate.
• 14:12
  Speaker 3: He's yeah, he's good now, but the previous guy, Brenzon
• 14:15
  Speaker 3: walts a pizza.
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: Oh yeah, he ran he made a run at Clemson,
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: he made a run at Bucks, Tigers.
• 14:19
  Speaker 3: He didn't acknowledge Al those we're good here, I doubt.
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: Be good man. Appreciate you all right, See you guys soon.
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: Thanks Al,