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Mac & Bone Show - Darin Gantt Interview · Mac & Bone Podcast

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Man.
• 0:02
  Speaker 2: Come g, he's just a common man.
• 0:16
  Speaker 3: With his hands.
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: That's right, babies, that's right.
• 0:20
  Speaker 4: Common the common man, the man of the people, and
• 0:22
  Speaker 4: the man who has been there for every dang Panther
• 0:25
  Speaker 4: training camp is ready for another one. And you can
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  Speaker 4: read his great coverage along with Cassidy Hills coverage at
• 0:32
  Speaker 4: Panthers dot Com. They also got the fun podcast that
• 0:35
  Speaker 4: they do as well, so check that out during training
• 0:39
  Speaker 4: camp as the boys get ready to uh to head
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  Speaker 4: on out there to the practice field for the first
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  Speaker 4: time in camp twenty twenty six, we got to preview
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  Speaker 4: it with Darren Gant Panthers dot Com, who joins us
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  Speaker 4: here on the Mac and Bone Show. D G, how
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  Speaker 4: you been man, It's go time. How you feeling?
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  Speaker 3: Good morning, my neighbors. It's that time, man, Let's do this.
• 1:03
  Speaker 3: It's uh you know you blinking? Thirty two years fly
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  Speaker 3: by and here we are. It's training camp again. Where
• 1:09
  Speaker 3: we're not in Spartan Burt where Charlotte there's a construction
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  Speaker 3: site on the other side of the field. Things are changing,
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  Speaker 3: things are moving, things are new, things are good.
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  Speaker 4: And the thing I love too, DG. And I'm sure
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  Speaker 4: you feel this too. I know you interact with fans.
• 1:23
  Speaker 4: I see I love the mail bag feature, the old
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  Speaker 4: guy mail bag where you interact with the fans. This
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  Speaker 4: just feels like the most optimistic And I know some
• 1:31
  Speaker 4: of these injuries have put a little damper in it,
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  Speaker 4: and the health situation of Timo has put a little
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  Speaker 4: damper in it. But it has been a minute since
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  Speaker 4: we've been coming off a division championship season, and it's
• 1:42
  Speaker 4: just the off season was a good one too, Like
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  Speaker 4: I just it just it feels it feels, you know,
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  Speaker 4: especially good this year headed into camp.
• 1:53
  Speaker 3: It's different. Things have stabilized here, and I mean that
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  Speaker 3: that's intentionally. If you look at what Dave Canalis and
• 1:58
  Speaker 3: Dan Morgan have done over the last couple of years,
• 2:01
  Speaker 3: They've built the base up to the point that you know,
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  Speaker 3: you can talk about, you know, optimism in the fact
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  Speaker 3: that I'm just kind of One of the most amazing
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  Speaker 3: things to me already about this camp is you can
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  Speaker 3: go in without your starting tackles, you know, without Taylor
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  Speaker 3: Moten and Ikiakwanu, and still think that there's the possibility
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  Speaker 3: for competent offensive line play because you went out and
• 2:25
  Speaker 3: got a Rashid Walker had a bargain deal laid in
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  Speaker 3: free agency because you use that first round pick on
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  Speaker 3: Monroe Freeling and there's a there's just a stability here
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  Speaker 3: now and a consistency that you know hasn't been in
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  Speaker 3: the past. But these guys have still they've still been
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  Speaker 3: willing to shuffle the deck a little bit. If you
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  Speaker 3: look at what Dave did coaching staff wise this offseason,
• 2:45
  Speaker 3: made some changes, gives up play call and brings in
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  Speaker 3: some new people. You know, the roster has been turned
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  Speaker 3: upside down and given a good shake. Only twenty three
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  Speaker 3: people at this camp on the roster who were here
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  Speaker 3: for the first day of camp in twenty twenty four
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  Speaker 3: when Dave and Dan started, So that's a quarter of
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  Speaker 3: the roster is all that remains from when these guys started.
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  Speaker 3: And it hasn't been that long ago, so it's a
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  Speaker 3: whole new deal. But they built in that consistency and
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  Speaker 3: you heard Derrick Brown and those guys yesterday talking about it.
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  Speaker 3: They've surrounded themselves with cats like Derek who loved the work,
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  Speaker 3: and that's what this thing built on.
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  Speaker 5: DG there's a couple of big money guys we can't
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  Speaker 5: wait to see get going. One of them is Devin
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  Speaker 5: Lloyd comes over from Jacksonville. Where do you think he
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  Speaker 5: makes the biggest impact on this football team in this defense?
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  Speaker 3: Well, I mean, as it gets the Carolina Panthers back
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  Speaker 3: to what the Carolina Panthers have always enjoyed. And we're
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  Speaker 3: in the middle of preparing a lot of coffee for
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  Speaker 3: some guy named Luke Keigley going into the Hall of Name,
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  Speaker 3: maybe burd of him. This team has always had that
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  Speaker 3: dude in the middle, whether it was Sam Mills, Mike there,
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  Speaker 3: Dan Morgan, John Bs, and Luke Keigley. There's always been
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  Speaker 3: that guy. And Devin Lloyd gives him an opportunity to
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  Speaker 3: have that guy. And that guy makes a lot of
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  Speaker 3: difference because he creates an identity, and you know, this
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  Speaker 3: team has always been you know, it's no accident that
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  Speaker 3: this team's starting to look like the one Dan Morgan
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  Speaker 3: played on back in the early two thousands, because getting
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  Speaker 3: back to that identity is kind of central to his philosophy.
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  Speaker 3: So I think having Devin gives you a chance. I mean,
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  Speaker 3: he's obviously graating coverage in a way they haven't enjoyed
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  Speaker 3: in a couple of years, and gives them a chance
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  Speaker 3: to cover that deep metal of the field gives them
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  Speaker 3: a chance to keep tight ends from doing as much
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  Speaker 3: damage against him in the passing game, and you know,
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  Speaker 3: just having him stabilizes everything. I know there's going to
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  Speaker 3: be a lot of, you know, questions about who's standing
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  Speaker 3: next to him. What does Trevin Wallace look like? Trevin
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  Speaker 3: Wallace gonna look a lot better because he's got Devin
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  Speaker 3: Lloyd standing next to him, and that's just going to
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  Speaker 3: be that tie that right raises all the boats.
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  Speaker 4: Darren, I've got to ask you specifically this question because
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  Speaker 4: I do have maybe a history of, you know, being
• 5:01
  Speaker 4: too worrying too much about the Panthers, worrying too much
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  Speaker 4: about things, and you, my friend, are a calming influence
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  Speaker 4: to Panther nation.
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  Speaker 1: So I'm asking you this question.
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  Speaker 4: The Taylor Moten thing, like, he's the type of guy
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  Speaker 4: that maybe some fans don't notice how good he is
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  Speaker 4: until he's not there, and he's been there so much
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  Speaker 4: for us over the years.
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  Speaker 1: I'm worried about having.
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  Speaker 4: To rush the freeling process with him at right tackle
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  Speaker 4: early in the season. What would you say to a
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  Speaker 4: concern Panther fan about that?
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  Speaker 3: Well, first of all, Mac, I do it for the people.
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  Speaker 1: You know that I know it's right.
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  Speaker 3: Second of all, live update from training camp to behotherd
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  Speaker 3: and Corey Thornton just walked out on the field. Those
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  Speaker 3: who get in a race daily to see who's going
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  Speaker 3: to be the first one out there by not knowing,
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  Speaker 3: I've beaten both of them to the practice. But as
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  Speaker 3: far as Timo goes, I mean a my first concern
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  Speaker 3: is for his health because that's one of the good
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  Speaker 3: absolutely ever walked through this building. Taylor is a solid
• 6:02
  Speaker 3: human being. Taylor thinks of other people first. Uh, he
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  Speaker 3: is part of that stability that they've built around here
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  Speaker 3: because you know, when I say you build around guys
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  Speaker 3: like Derrick Brown, you know, look at the people they've extended,
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  Speaker 3: Derek Cuba, Temo JC. Those guys all have things in common.
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  Speaker 3: So I first and foremost want Taylor to be well
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  Speaker 3: because he is one of my favorite human beings that's
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  Speaker 3: ever walked through here. But listen, you drafted Freeling for
• 6:28
  Speaker 3: a reason, and there was a pretty good chance he
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  Speaker 3: was going to be competing for a starting job anyway.
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  Speaker 1: You know.
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  Speaker 3: Now it's just you got to spread it around a
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  Speaker 3: little bit and instead of competing with Rashid Walker. He's
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  Speaker 3: he's probably the guy from day one at right tackle.
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  Speaker 3: So I think that you know, having that you know
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  Speaker 3: he was drafted to play, he hadn't played a ton
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  Speaker 3: of football. He's only got eighteen stars at Georgia, but
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  Speaker 3: he came out young. I mean, he's gonna turn twenty
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  Speaker 3: two here in a couple of days. So it's it's
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  Speaker 3: got It reminds me a lot of what happened here
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  Speaker 3: in three with Jordan Gross And I was talking to
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  Speaker 3: to all about this yesterday afternoon, and it's like Jordan
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  Speaker 3: walked in Todd Steusey standing there on the other side,
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  Speaker 3: but you knew Jordan was probably eventually going to be
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  Speaker 3: the left backle but you let him start out on
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  Speaker 3: the right. I don't think it changes as much from
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  Speaker 3: the technical aspect left right of what you've got to
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  Speaker 3: do pass protection wise, but I think it takes a
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  Speaker 3: little bit of that psychological pressure off of it when
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  Speaker 3: it's on that side, because you're not the bindside protector
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  Speaker 3: because you don't have that title next to your name.
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  Speaker 3: But they expect him to play football, and they expected
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  Speaker 3: him to play football early. It's just a little bit
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  Speaker 3: earlier than they figured. I mean He's still big, long,
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  Speaker 3: physical dudes, so I think you know, they're optimistic about
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  Speaker 3: what he's going to be able to do. This just
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  Speaker 3: obviously accelerates the timeline.
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  Speaker 5: Yesterday, Cameron Wolf NFL Network Darren said that, you know,
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  Speaker 5: there's some talk within the Panthers of t Mac getting
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  Speaker 5: a lot more run in the slot this year, where
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  Speaker 5: he was primarily there for three games last year. What
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  Speaker 5: do you think of that idea and what does that
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  Speaker 5: do ultimately for this receiving game.
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  Speaker 3: Well, I mean, he established himself as you know what
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  Speaker 3: Dave Canalis always calls the focal point of the passing game,
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  Speaker 3: and that's going to be true. No matter where he
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  Speaker 3: lines up. He gives you options in a way that
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  Speaker 3: other receivers might not necessarily And if you can work
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  Speaker 3: him out of the spot, then you've got space for
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  Speaker 3: you know, Exl and Cocher to do their thing on
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  Speaker 3: the perimeter. You've got the opportunity to see what Chris
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  Speaker 3: Brasl can offer you. I mean, listen, deep speed and
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  Speaker 3: the ability to knock the top out of a defense
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  Speaker 3: is something we've been talking about around here for a
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  Speaker 3: couple of years. They've been looking for that and Brasel
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  Speaker 3: gives you that opportunity, but he got a lot of
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  Speaker 3: traffic in front of him. I mean, that's that's a
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  Speaker 3: deep room. But yeah, I mean to your point team
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  Speaker 3: at being able to do multiple things. If he was
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  Speaker 3: a guy you just stuck out on the edge and
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  Speaker 3: let him go, he'd still be very worthwhile. But I
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  Speaker 3: mean he just canntinues to add to what he can
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  Speaker 3: do and that that gives him an oppotunite to build
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  Speaker 3: on the offense. I mean, you know, with with Brad
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  Speaker 3: Idgit calling the plays, with Darrell bevel In here to
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  Speaker 3: help advise on that process, they're going to canals keep
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  Speaker 3: choosing the word tweak to what they're doing to the offense,
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  Speaker 3: and I think that's one of them.
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  Speaker 4: Darren, You've been out there a lot in the offseason
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  Speaker 4: watching Jonathan Brooks. He's a dude that I loved when
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  Speaker 4: the Panthers picked him, and he gives that, you know,
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  Speaker 4: that game break and speed, also that in space receiver
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  Speaker 4: ability that we could really use. But I'm trying to
• 9:34
  Speaker 4: like not go gung ho because you know he's coming
• 9:37
  Speaker 4: back from the second torn Aco. What can you tell
• 9:39
  Speaker 4: us about what you've seen from Brooks? And like, I mean,
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  Speaker 4: how optimistic should we be that he can be himself again.
• 9:47
  Speaker 3: Well, I mean he's had time to get himself well
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  Speaker 3: and he appears to be and he's he walked in
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  Speaker 3: the door one of the fastest players on the roster,
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  Speaker 3: and you can see when he's doing his thing that
• 9:58
  Speaker 3: he is still one of those I mean, he's got
• 10:01
  Speaker 3: a lead speed, he's got that ability to turn a
• 10:06
  Speaker 3: run into the run, and I just think that gives
• 10:10
  Speaker 3: him an opportunity. I mean, he's another one of those
• 10:12
  Speaker 3: dudes because of the way the last couple of years
• 10:14
  Speaker 3: have gone for him. You're just hoping he can stay
• 10:17
  Speaker 3: healthy and do what he you know, do what they
• 10:20
  Speaker 3: thought he was gonna do when they took him in
• 10:21
  Speaker 3: the second round. But it's uh, if he is right
• 10:25
  Speaker 3: and you know, does what they think he can do,
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  Speaker 3: he adds an element to that run game. I mean,
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  Speaker 3: he's a different fack than Cuba, but he's hung around
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  Speaker 3: with Cuba long enough that he's he's learned some of
• 10:37
  Speaker 3: those work ethic things and habits that have made that
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  Speaker 3: guy one of the core pieces around here.
• 10:42
  Speaker 5: Darren Is it's your sunglasses. That about every training camp, right.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, it's funny I was showing one of the coaches
• 10:51
  Speaker 3: this morning a picture of me and Panthers ledgend Reggie
• 10:54
  Speaker 3: White back in Spartan Burth back in the day, and
• 10:58
  Speaker 3: he said different haircut, and I said the same sulasses.
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: Oh that's beautiful. That is beautiful, DG.
• 11:07
  Speaker 4: I would that's the kind of consistency you get from
• 11:09
  Speaker 4: DG year in and year out. Make sure you read
• 11:12
  Speaker 4: his camp coverage, Cass and Hills camp coverage too, watch
• 11:15
  Speaker 4: their podcast as well Panthers dot Com. DG always a
• 11:19
  Speaker 4: pleasure man, Thanks brother, appreciate you.
• 11:21
  Speaker 3: Hey, hey man. And in addition to the Happy half Hour,
• 11:24
  Speaker 3: when you where you get all your podcasts, check out
• 11:27
  Speaker 3: that Panthers News speed on our podcast network. We've got
• 11:32
  Speaker 3: a computerized voice reading every story on Panthers dot Com
• 11:35
  Speaker 3: to you. So if you're driving and want to be
• 11:37
  Speaker 3: safe and still want to enjoy that sweet sweet Panthers
• 11:40
  Speaker 3: dot Com content we got.
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: Is it your voice?
• 11:43
  Speaker 3: I like that It's not mine yet a lot of
• 11:46
  Speaker 3: but many people are disappointed about that.
• 11:48
  Speaker 4: People are saying, people are saying that they wish it
• 11:51
  Speaker 4: was you.
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: They are saying that.
• 11:52
  Speaker 3: They're asking for it.
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: That is perfect DG.
• 11:56
  Speaker 4: Because studies have shown that our demographics bone twenty eight
• 12:00
  Speaker 4: percent Mac and BONE listeners can't read or refuse to
• 12:03
  Speaker 4: do so, so that could come in.
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: That could come in. Real handy, baby, real see.
• 12:07
  Speaker 3: I can't know what I only say. I do it
• 12:09
  Speaker 3: for the people.
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: You ca man, you do, DJ will see you can't.
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: Man be good all right, see boys