Latest / The Thunder Down Under Chargers Podcast / Did Joe Hortiz Cook? | Chargers Initial 53-Man Roster Reaction

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Did Joe Hortiz Cook? | Chargers Initial 53-Man Roster Reaction · The Thunder Down Under Chargers Podcast

0:03
Who's got it better than that? No way! Robert
0:07
is being chased, throwing on the run, and it
0:10
is caught! Touchdown! Keenan Allen! What a great
0:14
goal! My goal is not to break you, my goal is
0:15
to make you harder to break. Touchdown! Number
0:18
six! Number six! Touchdown! Nineteen yard touchdown!
0:24
Nineteen yard touchdown! Grab your lunchboxes
0:37
and go attack this day with an enthusiasm unknown
0:39
to mankind! The pre -season is in the books.
0:48
The 53 -man roster has been released. We are
0:50
that much closer to football, baby. Hope you
0:53
are all doing well, guys. You've got Andy, Alistair,
0:56
and return of the Jack today on the Thunderdown
0:59
Under Chargers podcast. Jack, welcome back, man,
1:01
and a massive congratulations on everything that's
1:04
going on with your growing family. How are you?
1:07
I'm back. I'm back. I'm really sad to miss the
1:10
show with Sam Monson guys. You guys absolutely
1:13
smashed it. I listened to it earlier today. Fantastic.
1:17
And if you tuning in for the first time, you
1:19
didn't listen to that. Go back and listen to
1:21
it before you listen to this show. These two
1:22
guys were awesome. But yeah, no, it's things
1:25
are great, mate. Thank you so much. Matilda is
1:28
our young daughter. She's almost two weeks old,
1:31
hitting all the milestones that she should. Older
1:34
sister, Molly, who's just turned three on Sunday.
1:37
She's an incredibly responsible and doting big
1:40
sister. So my wife or my partner is very healthy
1:44
as well. So that's all we can ask for. And I'm
1:45
so excited to be back. Terrific, man. I want
1:48
to just second it. We're very excited for you.
1:50
We're very excited. We've got a new football
1:52
season coming up soon. We're all going to be
1:54
at the game together, the three of us. So, oh
1:58
boy, it's just over a week at Jack. I think you're
2:00
probably even more excited after a certain signing
2:03
that just went down over the last 48 hours. Sam
2:05
Monson predicted it. We asked him about it, didn't
2:08
we? Um, we did. Anyway, we thought Jack was missing
2:10
the show because of the babies. He was just hitting
2:12
refresh on his phone, waiting for Leslie to announce
2:14
the signing of Aaron Donald. Well, it's happened,
2:17
mate. I'm so excited. That is if Aaron Donald
2:21
plays and it looks like he might to actually
2:23
be able to see one of my favorite plays ever
2:26
live in the flesh. I'm just over the moon, Andy.
2:29
It's just I can't wait to see you guys and sit
2:31
for an NFL game. It's so exciting. Yeah, the
2:35
prospect of Miles Garrett and Aaron Donald on
2:39
the same defensive line is very exciting. I must
2:42
say, just while we're all kind of patting each
2:45
other on the back, I'm more excited to see you
2:47
in a little over a week's time. Folks, like I
2:51
said, the top of the preseason is done. We are
2:54
that bit closer to regular season football and
2:58
that much closer to the NFL coming to Melbourne.
3:01
Folks we've we've really appreciated the contributions
3:05
Bryce Julio on Eric. Thank you so much There's
3:08
a link if you'd like to shout us a beer for that
3:10
Rams 49ers game But we appreciate all the support
3:13
regardless guys, so thank you very much Thanks,
3:16
let's get stuck into it Jack right away your
3:20
immediate reaction to the initial 53 Yeah. Offensive
3:25
line university, baby. Swimming in it. It's kind
3:31
of like we had issues with the depth of the offensive
3:34
line last year. So you know what? Let's go out
3:36
and go 11 guys. Uh, so no, I, um, I'm, I'm fairly
3:41
happy. I didn't think there were too many things
3:43
that were out of the ordinary. Uh, we'll, we'll
3:46
get into it a little later with some of the minutia,
3:50
but, uh, yeah. And really fascinating, I guess,
3:53
out of that offensive line group to see, uh,
3:55
so Jacob Spomer get named, uh, they clearly didn't
3:58
want to put him on the practice squad. Uh, he
4:00
played really well, I think across his, I think
4:02
he played almost 140 snaps in the pre -season.
4:05
So a really decent sample size. And obviously
4:08
with Beardish going down, Slaughter looked okay.
4:12
You know, they really wanted to show up that
4:13
center position. So I honestly thought he was
4:16
going to get cut. Uh, it was one of those, you
4:18
know, pre -season darlings as it, as it always
4:21
happens, but L he made it and whether he plays
4:25
any meaningful snaps in the first half of the
4:27
year, who knows? Uh, let's, let's hope that he
4:29
doesn't because if he does, it means something's
4:31
going wrong. Yeah, absolutely. And. I find this
4:35
this day it's becoming one of the more I think
4:38
underwhelming days of the calendar that gets
4:40
all sorts of hype the roster breakdown because
4:43
it gets analyzed to death and at the end of the
4:45
day not a lot changes from the back end of the
4:48
53 and there's a lot of gamesmanship that goes
4:51
on in terms of keeping guys who you don't know
4:53
what to expose to waivers and everyone gets up
4:55
in arms because Tony Jefferson's been cut again
4:57
oh actually no he hasn't and everyone then gets
5:00
excited because JK Scott you've been shown the
5:02
door for being a shank No, actually, we've got
5:05
Jim Harbaugh calling him a top 10 punter in the
5:08
NFL again, as soon as today. So yeah, everything
5:11
changes, but not much changes and the something
5:13
in the middle. I don't know. Yeah, full of surprises,
5:17
full of trickery from Hortiz with the JK Scott
5:20
move. And then out of nowhere, Denzel Perryman
5:23
winds up on IR. Now I got confused. I read the
5:28
website before I watched Harbaugh's. presser
5:31
and I don't know whether or not to take Harbaugh
5:33
in full seriousness because he wanders off at
5:37
a time during a press conference but he did mention
5:42
that Denzel Perryman is designated to return.
5:45
I initially thought that he was on the reserve
5:47
injured list and that was that like with Beardish
5:50
etc but no he's scheduled to return so that's
5:55
yeah a bit out of nowhere to me but yeah look
6:00
Al, how much do you think the 11 listed O -line
6:05
plays into what Harbaugh has been talking about
6:08
with sort of platooning the left guard role,
6:10
like playing the hot hand? Do you think they
6:13
just - You've just set me up for - Yeah. I threw
6:16
that one right up in the air. Set me up. Set
6:17
me up. No, no, no. I have it now. Yeah, I don't
6:24
know. I don't know how - the cognitive status
6:27
of our head coach is going, I've got to say,
6:29
there's a fair bit of concern, at least internally,
6:34
and I'm hoping you guys can help walk me off
6:36
the ledge and the listeners as well. Just where
6:39
I thought we might be at this point of the season
6:43
and where we are, there's a bit of a gap in my
6:47
mind. I'll go there. I was really excited at
6:50
the start of this season about our offensive
6:52
line, thinking if this thing works, I think we
6:56
can be a top 10 offensive line in the NFL because
6:59
I was really excited about this idea of Slater
7:01
and Ault returning and signing Tyler Bjardis.
7:05
We didn't even make it to pre -season week two
7:07
before Bjardis is out for the season. That kind
7:12
of fundamentally changes everything. What to
7:14
me was looking like awesome depth because Slaughter
7:16
is your rookie early round pick depth. That's
7:19
great depth. Suddenly he's launched into the
7:22
starting position and Slater really hasn't been
7:25
practicing consistently because there must be
7:27
something going on with his body we don't really
7:29
know about. So even though Pipkins has looked
7:31
okay and Travis Birks looked really good and
7:34
Spomers looked good I don't know if right now
7:38
I feel like we've got a deep offensive line even
7:41
though we've got 11 guys on the 53 and more so
7:46
Jack before you can opine. My kind of take for
7:49
this Initial 53 is some guys made this who I
7:53
don't think really earned it and then other guys
7:55
kind of earned it and either didn't make the
7:57
initial one or got traded away. And I know that's
7:59
the gamesmanship, but I'm thinking like did Darius
8:02
Davis earn his spot? Bud Dupree. I've just got
8:05
him. Bud Dupree did all 11 of those offensive
8:12
linemen, including Harky and Logan Taylor. And
8:16
whereas some of the guys who really earned it,
8:18
we've traded away because they earned it so much,
8:20
we decided another team can give us capital for
8:22
them. Uh, and then even guys like junior Colson
8:25
and Greg DeRosier, who really stood out and played
8:28
well, we've got them back on the practice squad.
8:30
So it doesn't matter, but then not on the initial
8:32
53, Jack, all these offensive linemen are. Tell
8:35
me what the bigger picture is here. Yeah. Uh,
8:39
there's, there's two schools of thought, just
8:41
as you were talking about that. And you look
8:44
at the offensive line and go, wow, they've really
8:47
championed depth here and really wanted to shore
8:49
it up. Right. Or the other way of looking at
8:52
it is they're absolutely spinning because they've
8:55
got absolutely no idea what they're going to
8:57
do week one. I think I think they're spinning.
9:00
I think Harbaugh's reaction to that yardish injury,
9:03
he had no poker face whatsoever. He was like,
9:06
our whole plan is fucked. And since that moment,
9:12
we've been butchered by the 49ers look kind of
9:16
meh against the Rams. And now I think I'm feeling
9:19
a little bit weird. Hitting in 2021. I, and listen,
9:23
I never really liked the strange or the, uh,
9:26
I was seeker experiments at left and right guard
9:29
anyway, but you kind of then you sell it to yourself
9:31
and go, well, you've got the other three pieces
9:33
in Beardish being a, being a pretty good center.
9:36
He'll, he'll support them in the interior, you
9:39
know, pressure and understanding stunts and communicating.
9:41
That'll be fine. Then you've got your two anchors.
9:44
They'll be all right. Slater. Oh God. Now Slater's
9:46
not okay. Alt's staying at the right. So now
9:48
we're pushing out, you know, I mean, Branson,
9:50
um, uh, Branson Taylor has looked really good
9:53
at tackle. Let's, let's be honest there that
9:55
that's been fun. Travis Burke, I should say,
9:58
sorry, not Branson Taylor. Yeah, I, from what
10:03
I saw in Slaughter, I think he's going to be
10:05
serviceable, but against someone like an Aaron
10:07
Donald, which we have to line up against, he's
10:10
going to get absolutely monstered. I just don't
10:13
think he's got the play strength to, even though
10:15
people are saying, this is why we picked him
10:16
in the second round. He's going to come in. He's
10:18
going to be good. I have real questions about
10:21
his play strength at, at the NFL level personally.
10:24
I think he's athletic. He can get out, but I
10:27
don't know Andy, is this just Mike McDaniel being
10:30
like, you know what? Let's just take these 11
10:32
offensive linemen. We're going to treat it like
10:34
a platoon. Guys are going to be cycling in, cycling
10:37
out. There's going to be, it's just trust my
10:39
offense guys. Trust, trust what I'm going to
10:40
do. It's going to be okay. I don't know. I don't
10:45
want to rehash anymore of the chat, but you know,
10:48
the, the sweet, the, Preseason sweetheart guard
10:52
option or left guard option Branson Taylor is
10:54
on IR so perhaps there is a lot there is a fair
10:58
bit of spinning going on and there's a Because
11:01
they can't be hanging on to 11 guys Thinking
11:04
we can't possibly cut them. They'll get picked
11:07
up. Like it's not a it's not a paranoia thing
11:10
I think the depth is just the now that we've
11:14
had, you know, the loss of Beardish Taylor on
11:17
IR depth is now Pivotal so interesting. So you
11:22
think this isn't even about they were worried
11:24
Haki and Logan Taylor would get pinched by others
11:27
They actually think we don't really know who
11:29
our starters are So we need to keep more and
11:31
more of these guys in case we need to keep on
11:33
swapping it around till we find our ideal combo
11:36
Yeah, there was no there was no change to the
11:40
Like you they you know, they could have put Hockey
11:44
on the practice squad today Made a move like
11:47
that or something. So I Don't know. I don't I
11:52
don't think that's the I think that's the way
11:54
it all but I could be wrong. I don't know. I'm,
11:57
I'm worried. Cause okay. Joel hasn't played a
12:00
meaningful snap in a while. Coyote, our seeker
12:03
has never played for the charges. Travis Burke
12:05
has never played for the charges. Harky's never
12:06
played for the charges. Trevor Penning came to
12:09
the charges halfway through last year. Pipkins
12:11
has been there for a while. Slater hasn't played
12:13
a meaningful snap in a while. Slaughter's never
12:14
played a meaningful snap. Spoma, Colestrange
12:17
and Logan Taylor. Cool. So the vet is Trey Pipkins.
12:23
Everyone's right. All right. Listen, I know there's
12:26
a lot of positivity around, but you've got to
12:28
be realistic, right? You have to be realistic
12:30
Alistair. Like if you're looking at that, you,
12:32
when you literally look at that and go, wow,
12:34
Trey Pipkins is there returning like veteran
12:36
who's been listened and people will be like,
12:38
yeah, but it's a different coordinator. So it's
12:40
all going to be. Yeah. Okay. Sure. But when you
12:43
look at it like that, it's a coordinator who's,
12:45
who's run back to back years of being the least
12:48
pressured offense, the least pressured quarterback.
12:51
And you just hope. Herbert plus the play calling
12:53
plus a Marion Hampton getting handoffs. You're
12:56
you're minimizing your damage as much as much.
12:58
Well, if if a Marion Hampton gets the ball that
13:01
is because we're not too sure that if that if
13:04
those if those handoffs actually gonna happen,
13:06
right? They can just be fumbles. I didn't know
13:08
I didn't know where I was going there plummeted
13:10
on this. No, I'm actually over positive, but
13:14
you have to be realistic. Because I've two weeks.
13:17
I think the offensive line is probably the one
13:19
down, but I'm going to be very, very about some
13:22
other places I think. But I think that's a valid
13:24
place for us to start because you're never gonna
13:27
have a perfect team. You're gonna have a couple
13:29
of position groups where you're feeling a little
13:31
bit dicey. The problem for me is offensive line
13:35
is one of them and that's not really what we
13:37
wanted after the last however many years. But
13:39
you've got the offensive coordinator to... to
13:44
do it. You don't have Greg Roman. So that's the
13:46
there's the positivity and I'm I love Mike McDaniel,
13:49
we all do. But he does have a big task ahead
13:51
of him now. But he's all that big QJ bomb him
13:54
jacket. We'd be remiss not to mention it that
13:56
that looked pretty good in the past protection
13:58
in the pocket held up pretty nicely. It did.
14:02
It did. That was pretty sexy. That's that was
14:05
very sexy. We'll keep on the offensive side of
14:08
the ball. Are there many, if any, kind of position
14:12
groups that surprised by number or, we've said,
14:18
did Darius Davis earn his spot, Jack? Yeah, I
14:21
was very surprised that we rolled with six wide
14:25
receivers. I thought it was either going to be
14:29
Lambert Smith or Davis that was going to get
14:31
cut. It's whether we suit up six wide receivers
14:36
every game I don't think we do But clearly Darius
14:40
Davis still has some chops. I mean, we haven't
14:43
seen Darius Davis be used with someone like a
14:45
Mike McDaniel KLS has clearly done some stuff,
14:50
you know, we I think a couple of shows ago, we
14:52
talked about his attitude, that maybe he wasn't
14:55
doing the things that you know, blocking and
14:58
those types of small things. So the wide receivers
15:01
is again, it's got an interesting unit. Alistair
15:06
Who would you, who would you have rathered realistically
15:09
Davis or KLS? What was your, what was your feel?
15:13
I can't remember who we picked when we did that
15:14
show, but I'm pretty sure it was, um, I cut Darius
15:17
Davis. I can't, I just can't remember. Yeah,
15:21
we, yeah, nor can I, to be honest, I, I don't
15:24
feel, I don't feel strongly about it. I came
15:27
to, I came around to the view that tower, one
15:29
of our very good listeners, uh, has made over
15:32
the years, which is that maybe we're overrating
15:35
the punt return ability and how much extra yardage
15:38
that really gets you across the season to be
15:40
carrying a dude who's really a non -factor at
15:42
all on offense. Had a couple of catches in the
15:44
Rams game, but he also misses catches, or there
15:47
was one he didn't quite come down with. And KLS
15:50
intrigues me. There's enough route running chops
15:54
and occasional playability. Like, we're so quick
15:57
to judge these days. He's entering year two.
15:59
So I don't mind looking at him for a little bit
16:01
longer. Darius Davis is now QJ's class, right?
16:03
He's entering year four. So I thought he was
16:07
pretty lucky to make it and I would have, yeah,
16:10
I would have gone in a different direction if,
16:12
if it was me, Andy. Uh, yeah, look, I, I think
16:19
there's more sort of, there's more potential
16:23
upside to Keondre Lambert Smith for mine. Uh,
16:26
but Yeah, for me it was just an interesting one.
16:29
I thought they'd take five, but they both get
16:31
their roses for now So I don't think any big
16:35
inclusion at all on either side of the ball for
16:38
me. It's not a major surprise kind of a final
16:42
53 No, I don't I don't I don't really think so
16:49
Rodney Shelley is probably the the name the the
16:52
name that you'd mentioned at corner but I guess
16:57
they see more sort of boundary depth in Rodney
17:00
Shelley than like Nico Reid, sort of smaller
17:03
corner, but we get him on the practice squad.
17:06
And we've got to shout out Joe Hortiz because
17:09
it's his workings within the margins or within
17:12
the lines as a GM in instances like this where
17:18
you get two undrafted free agent, potential 53.
17:25
roster candidates, right? Like Avery Smith, I
17:29
probably thought he had a greater chance than
17:31
Tarah Edwards, but he's both turned, he's turned
17:33
them both into sixth round picks, which is just
17:37
phenomenal. Come the trade deadline, all those
17:39
sorts of things. Like it's just ammunition to
17:41
have. Can we give up less than that for Elijah
17:43
Maldon, when we brought him in two years ago?
17:46
That's like, it was either a sixth or a seventh.
17:47
To get a sixth for each of those is pretty impressive.
17:51
Didn't give anything back. And we know, yeah,
17:54
it's, there was no pick swap and we know what
17:56
Hortiz can do on day three. So, uh, yeah, but
18:00
going back to surprises, Rodney Shelley, probably
18:03
the only one for me, but it just, it sort of
18:05
makes sense how they, uh, treated that depth
18:09
of, um, at, uh, corner. I'm, I'm, I'm super surprised
18:15
that Nico Reed didn't get picked up. to be honest,
18:17
and we were able to get him on the practice squad.
18:19
Cause he had, cause I mean, he showed enough
18:21
last year at the top level to be like, Oh, well,
18:23
this guy's actually okay. I don't know whether
18:25
that says more about Minters system and maybe
18:27
guys go, Oh, actually Minters system is the one
18:31
that makes these guys look good. Like individually,
18:33
perhaps they're, they're not as strong, but anyway,
18:35
I think that, that, that Nico Reid. to, you know,
18:38
I mean, he played well for us and probably come
18:40
in and do some, probably need to do some stuff
18:42
this year as well. Alistair, I, my other concern
18:46
would be carrying only four edges. I mean, yes,
18:50
the, the big names are the Khalil Mack and Tuli
18:53
Tua Pelotu. Mezador I think is going to be fine.
18:56
But then, you know, you talk about Dud, Dud Bupri.
19:00
And who we've got, we've got Tucker and who's
19:03
on the practice squad is Andre Carter. I mean,
19:08
that, that group is one and Caleb Murphy. Yeah.
19:12
Good, good point. But you know, um, I don't know
19:15
that that's deceptively thin. Do you not, do
19:18
you not think? I think it's deceptively thin.
19:22
Like the names are there, but how many games
19:25
did Mac miss last year? Six I reckon something
19:30
like that six or seven. Yeah. Yeah that that
19:33
that position group looks thinner than Alan Meyer
19:36
hair If max to suffer something half as bad or
19:41
miss any time at all Yeah, yeah, it's a concern.
19:45
That is for sure. I was hopeful that bud Dupree
19:48
would be clinging onto a roster spot for dear
19:51
life and Canard got injured Tucker was a bit
19:56
exciting. It was kind of flavor of the week for
19:58
a little bit and then petered out trying to do
20:01
a bit too much I think in the last game ended
20:02
up with some missed tackles That practice squat
20:05
depth is fine. There's still an opportunity to
20:08
make some kind of a move early in the season,
20:11
but hey, maybe schematically this signifies You're
20:15
gonna see a bit more sending guys off the edge
20:17
who aren't edge rushes I know doing blitzers
20:20
off the edge every now and then they go day on
20:22
Henley off the edge could it Could it maybe lean
20:25
towards that? I don't know. Like you, I was surprised.
20:28
I don't know if you've only. He tends to send
20:30
these blitzes from all over. So you can see corners.
20:34
Who knows? Yeah. What was that? What was that
20:37
blitz right against the Rams guy? He's just sending
20:39
people from everywhere. Um, Alistair, you said
20:41
something really interesting there. So do you
20:44
think it's a little bit of a GM tactic that Hortiz
20:47
has kind of got? You know what? Maybe for the
20:49
year we find a team because edges one of those
20:52
premium positions and so it's one of those positions
20:55
where you draft and you spend a lot of draft
20:57
capital on. Do you kind of think that maybe there
21:00
are the teams that are kind of petering in that
21:03
playoff form or not? And all of a sudden that
21:05
they're not that you do get guys a little bit
21:07
disgruntled by week six, week seven and goes,
21:09
Hey, actually I'd like you always, you know,
21:12
maybe Hortiz has got a little bit of a strategy
21:14
to do a mid season kind of big trade for someone
21:18
like that, just to sort of thicken that group
21:20
out a little bit. I don't know. Is it, is that
21:22
something that has ever crossed your mind? It
21:23
just, it literally just came to me now. I think
21:26
that's exactly what he's doing. And he's now
21:28
got two additional six round picks with which
21:31
to trade around the deadline. He's shown himself
21:33
to be active at that time. It is it is quite
21:36
a good way to approach things I think because
21:38
the risk the risk is so let's think it through
21:42
if if maybe you're not fielding your best strongest
21:45
team earlier in the year. hoping you can bring
21:48
guys in and around the deadline you're risking
21:50
losses earlier in the year but if you manage
21:53
to have enough wins and get to that deadline
21:54
where you know you're going to be a contender
21:57
that is the time of year where the bottom eight
21:59
teams are looking to offload dudes and each of
22:02
those bottom eight teams will have a few star
22:04
players and if you can get them at these premium
22:06
positions like edge Especially if they're dudes
22:09
on expiring contact or contracts, or kids would
22:12
be like, where am I expiring contracts guys?
22:14
Where I can get a nine game rental. He almost
22:17
looked like a genius. Cause like OA has three
22:19
sacks in that first playoff game. Imagine if
22:21
we win that playoff game and actually go on a
22:23
run, you're stealing a Superbowl with a key acquisition
22:27
around the deadline. And it just feels like edge
22:30
Andy is kind of one of those positions where
22:33
It's not really scheme dependent. Like if you
22:35
can get to the quarterback and set the edge,
22:36
it doesn't matter what scheme that you're playing
22:38
in. It could be a three, four, could be a four,
22:40
three, could be zoned, could be mad. It doesn't
22:42
matter. You just do your job. Whereas I think
22:44
maybe for your linebackers, your safeties, your
22:46
corners, a lot of those, you go, oh, is he going
22:49
to actually work, you know, given, given that
22:51
he's successful in this system? Yeah, that's,
22:54
that's a, that's a fair comment to an extent,
22:57
definitely more so for edge and, um, But now
23:02
that Perryman's on IR, we've got four backers,
23:08
four inside line backers and four outside line
23:11
backers. So I think overall it's quite a thin
23:15
grouping. And for me, we're definitely gonna
23:19
need to see an increase in workload from the
23:24
likes of Marlowe Wax if the team's looking to
23:27
keep Troy Dye. and Del Sean Phillips, predominantly
23:31
for special teams. But who, Al, do you think
23:35
that second, second up linebacker would be? Probably
23:41
Die. I think it is probably Die. I wouldn't mind
23:45
saying it be Wax, to be honest. Because I'm thinking
23:49
of the the Perryman. run -first mentality, and
23:54
Henley's probably a little better in coverage,
23:56
although I made a fantastic tackle for loss in
23:57
the backfield against the Rams. Wax is more of
24:00
your downhill thumper who's showing an aptitude.
24:03
I don't really feel that way about Dye or Delshon
24:06
Phillips, to be honest. Kind of more hybrid or
24:09
coverage -style players, so that'll be interesting
24:11
to see. Harbaugh hinted at Delshon's name today,
24:16
so maybe Wax isn't really going to be considered,
24:18
at least to start the year. Look, I know we're
24:22
sounding a little negative even though the the
24:24
edge and linebacker spots aren't deep I still
24:27
feel pretty good about the starters in those
24:29
rooms to start the year. I like Not a lot of
24:33
teams can say they've got a first round pick
24:34
and a second round pick and another first round
24:36
pick rushing the passer and I thought Mezador
24:38
looked fine in the preseason. It's easy not to
24:41
see it because it's only a few snaps a game,
24:43
but I think he'll play with a lot of effort.
24:45
And all the talk from Mac this training camp
24:47
has been he's, he's picking off Justin Herbert,
24:50
intercepting a screen, he's blowing up practice.
24:53
So Mac seems like he's no different to the guy
24:56
it's been the last few years. So let's not write
24:58
us off yet. Yeah, he'll be fine, I think. And
25:01
I've, I've, I've got some, I've got some takes
25:03
Andy, but I don't want to sort of jump into the
25:05
next segment too much about, uh, about, about
25:08
some sort of, yeah, we'll get there soon enough.
25:13
No doubt. Uh, another Hortys little tidbit cutting
25:18
ties with former Michigan third round pick waving,
25:21
uh, junior Colson. Again, he did end up on the
25:24
practice squad, but three pre -season outings
25:26
with PFF grades of 87, 89 and 69, not enough
25:30
to cut it. So we're now seeing Kyle Canard as
25:34
well. We're seeing a bit of a swallowing pride
25:37
and making the right decision, not just sort
25:39
of hanging onto those mid -round draft picks
25:41
as a GM can tend to do to sort of Tom Telesco,
25:44
sort of ride it out and see it out, you know,
25:47
so. And were you guys shocked? I was shocked
25:51
that Colson cleared waivers. I know our friend,
25:53
Stephen Hagelin, put out this stat that over
25:56
the last two years, only 56 out of about 2 ,200
25:59
people have actually been claimed on the release
26:02
on the day after final 53s. But Colson, Colson's
26:07
mainly missed time because of injuries and appendicitis
26:09
and these types of issues. When he's been on
26:12
the field, he hasn't looked good. Don't get me
26:13
wrong. He hasn't looked like a complete liability.
26:16
And as recently as two years ago, he's an early
26:18
third round pick, comes from a great championship
26:22
program. He was equally good against run and
26:25
pass. I'm really surprised that there's not one
26:27
other team out there who thought they'd pick
26:29
him up. Yeah, definitely. I think a fair comment
26:33
for what he showed that he was capable of in
26:35
the pre -season. Absolutely. Yeah. And a big
26:37
win for us because let him continue to develop.
26:39
Well, yeah, especially with what's happened with
26:42
Denzel. I was surprised that the Minter didn't
26:45
pick him up. Like you saw him there and went,
26:47
Oh yeah, this guy played for me for however many
26:49
years. Great player here. Come, come, come to
26:51
me. So obviously he'd be stepping in. He'd be
26:54
stepping on the, the Messiah and all God's, you
26:57
know, coat tails there. Don't didn't want to
26:59
ruin that relationship. Perhaps Jesse, not yet.
27:01
Anyway, until though, until we play them in the
27:03
playoffs, we'll see what happens. Maybe just
27:06
the safety is gone. What's your name again? Six
27:12
safeties. Did that surprise either of you too?
27:15
Uh, I guess, you know, Chris O'Deby. Yeah, Chris
27:20
O'Deby. Yeah. Yeah. I was surprised by that.
27:24
We've gone with six guys. We didn't talk about
27:26
it. Well, in the hindsight, which is 2020, I'm
27:30
not surprised, but that's a lot of DBs for, I
27:33
don't know if they're the most talented DBs.
27:36
Oh, they're in the entire NFL. There are a few
27:37
guys, you know, Shelley and most of us wouldn't
27:40
recognize him if he popped up in our Weep Bix.
27:43
Um, we didn't talk about Kendall Williamson really
27:47
at all this off season, but he's just a solid
27:49
special team. Vickens laughing. He's got all
27:51
these guys. Yeah. Uh, it's just going to be interesting
27:55
to see what kind of role they all play. Will
27:59
we see a permanent role for doing in the nickel?
28:02
Will he still be sort of used in bits and pieces
28:04
everywhere? Um, because We can have two two other
28:09
safeties on the field and one operates sort of
28:11
as a hybrid corner Who the hell needs this many
28:15
safeties? I'm really I'm actually surprised like
28:19
Again, are we showing ourselves to be a team
28:22
who really wants to place three safeties all
28:24
the time a bit like bit Minter did? Yeah, we
28:26
probably are Yeah, and is doing basically full
28:30
-time slot, but then some of these guys aren't
28:32
gonna suit up I mean, how many safeties are you
28:34
going to address on game day five, right? Maybe
28:40
there just needed to be some special teams depth.
28:43
Like, cause we were poor. Like it was one of
28:45
Thicken's worst seasons last year. I mean, the
28:49
fact is we're not, you know, like who, like who
28:52
are the special teamers? So let's just, just
28:54
on this, on, on this, um, who are they? So Troy
28:57
Dye, Del Sean Phillips, Marlo Wax. Probably are
29:02
you going, Dean Leonard, Rodney Shelley, are
29:04
they are they playing or are they playing meaningful
29:06
snaps? And then you've got not not Tony Jefferson.
29:09
Probably not. Is it Genesis, Williamson and maybe
29:12
Mickens as well? So. You're kind of building
29:16
a like, they're all relative, they're smaller
29:18
linebackers and safeties in DB. So maybe they
29:22
want to go a little bit quicker on special teams
29:24
rather than having, you know, you're big, you
29:26
know, carrying an extra edge or an extra, I don't
29:29
know, like a tight end or something like that.
29:31
Those, those guys sort of perhaps round out those
29:34
position groups, but are not particularly good
29:37
athletes for that. So maybe there's some thinking
29:40
around that because special teams was such, was
29:43
such an issue last year. I don't know. I'm, I'm,
29:46
people will go, this guy's an armchair gym. He
29:47
doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about.
29:49
I don't know. I'm just trying to provide some
29:50
answers, I guess. Yeah, that's all. I thought
29:54
that was fair. I've got no issue. Was it fair?
29:56
Yeah. I mean, only three tight ends rusted. I
29:59
know there was no one else who really was being
30:01
thought of for Bodo and whoever the other guy
30:03
was. Pazoo. Pazuzi. Johnny Pazuzi. Pazuzi Pazuzi.
30:11
But yeah, I think there's probably something
30:13
in that wanting to in a certain way on special
30:16
teams And as long as we can't see Scott Matlock
30:19
on special teams, I'm happy. Let's just be honest
30:21
with that one. Yeah All right guys, we're going
30:25
to We're gonna play a little game called the
30:28
roster confidence meter So I'm gonna go through
30:30
the position groups and you're gonna give me
30:32
a ready to contend good enough Developing or
30:36
needs help. Yep. All right, so let's go quarterback
30:40
Jack? That's that's easy. Ready to contend? I
30:44
think we're all on the same page. Yeah, we're
30:46
all on the same page. That one. Yeah, let's not
30:48
move on though. No, no, I want to unpack that
30:50
now that we've got Jack back. Trey Lance is your
30:53
backup. How do you feel about that? Should the
30:55
team have done something different? Keep DJ,
30:57
there's rumors about JJ McCarthy. Are you comfortable
31:00
that Trey Lance can win us football games if
31:03
called upon? Absolutely. Because I think Mike
31:06
McDaniel can do some really interesting things
31:07
with his legs and he can, and I reckon Mike McDaniel,
31:10
if, if really pushed, he could probably win a
31:13
couple of games with Trey Lance as your wildcat
31:16
quarterback. You saw him how incredibly, when
31:19
those, when the sort of the play broke down,
31:21
listen, let's not talk about his passing game
31:22
and his ability or lack thereof to get through
31:25
his progressions. The fact that he can move and
31:27
get, you know, run for 10 yards, 12 yards and
31:29
go, I think, you know, I think that in that Shanahan
31:34
style system, there's room for Lance to succeed,
31:37
but it would probably become a one trick pony.
31:40
Would we win a championship? Absolutely not.
31:42
But if Herbert hurt himself for a couple of weeks
31:44
and Trey Lance had come in, I trust Mike McDaniel
31:46
to do something in that zone running game to
31:49
really sort of throw off the opponent. That's
31:51
where I sit. Sweet. All right, Al, the wide receivers.
32:02
Of the ratings we're assigning here, ready to
32:04
contend good enough, developing or needs help,
32:08
I have gone with developing for the wide receivers.
32:13
Maybe a bit of a surprise, but we've got a youth
32:16
movement. They're all first contract players.
32:19
None of them are really experienced or proven
32:22
commodities in the NFL. Bit of pressure on McConkey
32:26
after a slightly down year, although I think
32:28
it'll be fine You've got QJ and Darius Davis
32:30
your most experienced players in the group And
32:33
there's just quite a bit of unknowns for me.
32:36
So developing means And it's not a pejorative
32:39
because you do have Trey Harris developing into
32:42
a non blocking role because he's got a real OC
32:44
you do have Quentin Johnston developing on crossing
32:48
routes and being used properly because he has
32:50
a real OC you do have these different players
32:54
developing in their roles so that is my grade
32:56
and I'll just Ask you guys would either of you
33:00
go higher to to good enough or ready to content
33:03
I Actually had it as developing as well for the
33:08
same argument of all on first contracts It was
33:14
sort of at the just below good enough because
33:17
I think we We've seen the output that some of
33:19
these guys have had and I'm expecting improvements
33:22
from Trey Harris, but still developing. Same,
33:25
but these are not static grades. I'm just saying
33:27
sitting here today, developing and by middle
33:29
to the end of the year, we could be singing a
33:31
different tune and will be if we're winning.
33:32
We hope so. Hope they're all ready to content.
33:35
Uh, all right, Jack, the, the running back group.
33:38
Uh, does that include Alec Ingold? I'm just gonna,
33:41
or are you putting him with the tight ends? I'm
33:44
going to put him with the running back group.
33:46
putting with the running back group. I think
33:48
it's good enough. Yeah, I think it's good enough.
33:51
You really, if you asked me this at the start
33:55
of last year with the group that we had, I probably
33:58
would have said ready to contend, but a firework
34:01
going off into someone's eye put a dampener on
34:04
that one. So I'd say this good enough. There's
34:07
still a little bit of unknowns for me about Keaton
34:11
Mitchell. and Kamani Vidal and whether he's going
34:15
to be okay in this. I think they're going to
34:17
be. Marion Hampton, I think is going to be okay.
34:21
But again, we haven't seen much pre -season.
34:23
So I'm saying good enough. There's enough capital
34:25
in there. And Alec Ingold is a sneaky, possibly
34:29
one of the most important players that we have
34:31
on the roster that not a lot of people are talking
34:33
about. Why are you laughing Alistair? Because
34:36
he disagrees, vehemently. No, not vehemently.
34:40
This is why I needed like some positivity in
34:44
my life. I'm clearly in some kind of a slightly
34:47
cynical mood because I felt so good about the
34:51
running back position about three and a half
34:52
weeks ago and the concept of it all. And since
34:56
then, Hampton's one carry went for minus one
34:59
yards because he didn't see a cutback lane properly,
35:01
which was something we talked about. when he
35:03
came out. Although, I've wrote on Twitter, tough
35:07
to expect him to see that cutback line. It's
35:09
his first carry. He's just tried to hit the stretch
35:10
outside run. That was his one carry. Keaton Mitchell
35:13
has not played at all because he's been injured.
35:15
They just haven't said what's going on. We've
35:16
got no idea. And this is a guy who's been injured
35:18
his whole career, wherever he's been. And then
35:22
Kamani Vidal has 12 carries for 23 yards in the
35:24
preseason. Looks completely lost out there. Andy
35:27
may as well being under center. Yeah. Taking
35:29
the handoffs. Well, I was excited. Yeah. Okay.
35:34
Then add, then add, then add DeRozier, add DeRozier.
35:37
Am a boy. Am a boy. So I'm hopeful cause they
35:41
could be like Hampton could be an absolute start
35:43
in a top five NFL running back. It's a bit like
35:46
I need to, he will be, he will be. That's it.
35:48
That's it. Okay, I've convinced him. They're
35:53
good enough. So where did you land? Are you going
35:54
developing? Are you creating, are you doing a
35:57
jack and creating your own answer of unknown?
36:01
Well, again, we've got to see developing. We've
36:05
got to see Hampton running in his own scheme
36:07
and we've got to see Keaton not injured and Vidal
36:09
averaging more than 1 .9 yards per carry. Yeah,
36:13
I do agree with that. Okay, Al, the tight end
36:16
room. Maybe something to be a little bit more
36:18
excited about. Yeah, they're good enough. I'm
36:21
happy. I'm happy with that. In this on this case,
36:24
I'm going to put down some of the group's concerns
36:27
in the preseason because they've also looked
36:28
a bit suspect Kolar and Najoku down to some rust
36:32
and getting into things and and they're both
36:35
veteran guys Kolar and Najoku. I think when the
36:37
bright lights shine, they'll be at their best.
36:40
I also really liked Gadsden's preseason. I thought
36:42
he thought he was great. Yeah, I thought it was
36:44
great. He wants he does not want to be an afterthought.
36:47
I love his I love his presses. I think he's a
36:49
really thoughtful, introspective guy who wants
36:52
to be the best pro possibly can be. I like that
36:54
group. Would a fourth one be nice? Yeah, I guess
36:57
but we've just got Justin Herbert's brother rocking
36:59
up. Yeah, and you've got in gold and you've got
37:01
in gold if you want to go a sixth offensive lineman.
37:05
So good group that group is good enough to get
37:07
us there. Yep. Okay. Lots to go through of 11
37:13
of them, but Jack, what do you have for the offensive
37:15
line? It's a real tough one now. Yeah. Okay.
37:24
I'm going to say it. I think it needs help. I
37:27
think it needs help. Yeah. I think it needs help.
37:30
It's I started with it being a little bit negative
37:33
and I think I might have sort of put myself into
37:35
a bit of a negative spin for those reasons that
37:37
we've all that that I said before is that when
37:39
Trey Pipkins is your most experienced lineman,
37:41
I know that it's a new coordinator and all this
37:44
kind of stuff. But I'm going, oh, no. And we
37:47
just don't know with Ray Sean Slater. So if Alistair's
37:49
using the injury cloud to really take my good
37:53
enough running back room to developing, I'm going
37:56
to say move this from developing to needs help.
37:59
They're going to get help. They've got a great
38:01
coach in Butch Barry. And I think they're going
38:04
to be OK. But it's. They're not starting from
38:08
developing to be good enough I don't think I
38:10
think they're a grade lower than that and without
38:13
a grade in between developing and needing help
38:15
Unfortunately, I'm I've left it needs help. I
38:18
don't know I don't know whether you feel the
38:21
same way about that or not guys, but that's where
38:23
I am look I've gone with developing into good
38:29
enough because if you get Joe Alton Rashawn Slater
38:33
as Joe Alton Rashawn Slater then you've got excellent
38:39
tackles. The sort of developing is obviously,
38:45
you know, Jake Slaughter being flung into starting
38:48
centre and I'm giving them the benefit of the
38:52
doubt for the Mike McDaniel situation. So, you
38:55
know, I'm really trying to buy into this. the
38:59
guard position isn't it's easier to to mask over
39:03
uh in Mike McDaniel's offense so I'm being a
39:06
little bit more well a lot more sort of optimistic
39:09
than than you Jack. I'm on developing like almost
39:13
like you Andy I I need to unsee the preseason
39:17
and just cling on to this idea that the team
39:20
wasn't trying and it didn't matter to them and
39:22
we're just going to rock up and be awesome. against
39:24
the cards and the Raiders because what I saw
39:26
was Joe Ault struggle on an outside zone run
39:30
and struggle on a pass pro rep where he slightly
39:33
over set it and then got beaten to the inside
39:35
and was a little bit gimpy after the play. I
39:38
look at the all 22, no one's noticing that shit
39:41
on the broadcast. I'm going, Oh, that's interesting.
39:43
Only 11 snaps to old two things that I would
39:46
say are uncharacteristic from him. And then we've
39:48
talked about Slater and we've talked about the
39:50
audition. And I like the idea that we've got
39:52
that we've got these great tackles, which we
39:55
do. Will they play great early in the season
39:58
that I'm less sure of, but developing is I think
40:00
again, they will play great the more time they
40:03
have in the system as the year goes on. Cool.
40:07
Well -rounded offense onto the defense interior
40:10
of the defensive line, Jack. Yes. Okay. I think
40:15
this is where I want it to be. This is, and so
40:18
I'm flipping this completely on its head. I think
40:21
this group of defensive linemen, because we haven't
40:24
spoken about them so far on the show. I think
40:26
they are ready to contend. I think there will
40:29
be a top five unit, a top five unit by the end
40:32
of the year. I think they've got the right amount
40:35
of size, the right amount of experience. I love
40:40
the addition of Tomlinson. I think Tia Tartt
40:43
is great. to, uh, is, is going to be there a
40:46
leader. He's nasty. He's got a bit of balls about
40:49
him and a Boigby. I'm happy to eat my humble
40:51
pie has looked really good too. Then you ran
40:54
it off with Caldwell, who who's going to be another
40:57
year in the system. And then you've got Barrett
40:59
for me. This is the ready to contend group that
41:02
is going to lead the defense and be sneaky, sneaky
41:06
good. You will not want to play against the charges
41:09
defensive line because they're gonna make you
41:11
sweat. Alistair that's that's how I think. Yep.
41:14
Great mix of age groups. Excellent depth with
41:17
upside because some of them are still young,
41:19
but you've got some veterans. Only one thing
41:21
missing is like your obvious stud pass rush threat,
41:23
but we'll see if the boy B can become that because
41:26
it certainly looks like he could be based on
41:28
preseason form. Ready to contend. I agree with
41:31
the label. I love this group. I love it so much.
41:34
I thought they had a really good preseason too.
41:36
I love it. I love it. All right. I'll take the
41:40
edge. Yep. Uh, I've gone with good enough in
41:43
this group. I know we said that there weren't
41:45
too many of them, but we do have Mack Tully and
41:47
Mezador, a prospect I really, really liked. And
41:50
much as I pay out Bud Dupree, he tries hard and
41:54
sets an edge and he's a leader. Like he can place
41:57
teams. He is kind. He is a kind guy. He's one
42:00
of these real mental. He's meant to be one of
42:02
the nicest guys in the locker room. Reportedly.
42:06
All right. Take it back. Take the mic back off
42:08
me, Andy. That's it. They're good. I think they're
42:10
good enough. And it would be weird to call them
42:12
developing because you do have like a super duper
42:14
old guy ready to win right now in Kalimak. Desperate
42:19
to win right now. Jack the backers. I, this was
42:25
hard, but I had to land on developing. I just
42:28
haven't seen, unfortunately, I mean, Henley's
42:31
got the capacity and the ability and the measurables
42:34
to be a really good linebacker in the league.
42:37
Unfortunately, due to all sorts of reasons last
42:39
year, we just didn't see that. Troy Dye, I think
42:42
has kind of hit his ceiling of where he's going
42:45
to be. Perryman, we know what he's bringing.
42:48
Wax and Phillips, they're kind of really unproven
42:52
at the NFL level as just yet. So yeah, for me,
42:56
this is a developing group. Not needs help because
43:01
I think there's enough. There are enough players
43:04
in there that can do different roles and do them
43:06
relatively well. We know when Denzel Perryman
43:09
plays, the run fits look better. Um, that's,
43:12
that's his, that is if he plays. So I'm, I'm
43:14
developing out. I put it as a good enough because
43:19
I do. Yeah. Cause I think that collection of
43:22
six Perryman use. Well, I'm going to look at
43:25
it. I make up my own rules. Now I'm looking at
43:28
it in a long view system perspective. I think
43:32
about playoff teams, Super Bowl winning teams.
43:35
Does this linebacker room look way worse than
43:37
a potential Super Bowl winner? They might be,
43:39
we're missing like a Mike who's their best player
43:42
or having a Mike linebacker like a Fred Warner
43:44
who's a freak. Could be Henley. Could be Henley.
43:47
Yeah, and not a lot of teams who win Super Bowls
43:49
even have that. They just have two steady Eddie
43:51
dudes. And then I reckon having Colson on the
43:54
practice squad and wax and del Sean and I reckon
43:57
all of those guys can can play in a pinch and
44:00
not be liabilities. So I think they're I think
44:02
they're good enough by league standards. But
44:04
I hear where you're coming from, Jack, they need
44:06
to they need to show a bit more, especially Henley.
44:09
I found myself in the realm that you did earlier,
44:12
Jack, with the they're not being a grade between
44:14
developing and good enough. So I won't landed
44:17
on developing. They're not developing as youthful
44:20
careers, although maybe Henley could play with
44:23
a little bit more maturity at times. But that's
44:28
probably being a bit harsh. All right, Al, the
44:32
cornerback room. Yeah, corners need help, guys.
44:36
And that help may be schematic help playing a
44:40
lot of zone. But if we're going to blitz at the
44:42
rate we were in the preseason, and go seven man
44:45
pressures, just hold your hats in the back end.
44:48
I don't know. I don't know. We're one injury
44:51
away from Dean Leonard or Shelly being in there.
44:55
And I know we've signed Kaeya Ilham to the practice
44:57
squad. Again, we like these former first round
45:00
guys. The concern with former first round guys
45:03
is when you start to forget the team that originally
45:05
drafted them because they've been five since.
45:08
Yeah, Elam is getting there as a Buffalo Bill
45:12
and now who like Dallas, who else? Maybe chiefs,
45:18
chiefs, chiefs. There might be another one though.
45:22
What's interesting though is I don't know if
45:24
needs help suddenly means you're gonna Be a terrible
45:31
past defense because I do think in the NFL you
45:34
especially the modern version You can choose
45:37
to be conservative and not get torched I just
45:40
don't know if O 'Leary is gonna do that and if
45:42
he doesn't I don't feel like this is the right
45:44
cornerback room to be Playing a lot of man coverage
45:47
with them holding up one -on -one. Yeah, I I
45:51
don't know What O 'Leary is gonna do? that kind
45:56
of left Horty's not kind of covering the output
46:00
of Benjamin St. Just even though it wasn't much
46:03
I don't know if Rodney Shelley is expected to
46:06
be able to sort of supplement some of that skill
46:10
set but Nico Reed not really as you sort of Only
46:14
real corner on the practice squad. I think It's
46:17
pretty thin there, but look then they've gone
46:20
with Six safeties Jack. How do you grade this
46:25
room? Well, you have to, I mean, there's one,
46:29
so we haven't sort of talked about like a lot
46:32
of the, I guess the alpha on the other defense,
46:35
sorry, in the other defensive group is Khalil
46:37
Mack. You've got to talk about the alpha, which
46:40
is, you know, Derwin James. So, and then Tony
46:43
Jefferson, Mickens, Maldon, Smith, Williamson.
46:47
I found it really hard after I get after Derwin
46:51
James to give them anything other than good enough.
46:54
I was flirting with ready to contend. But I but
46:58
I think I have to land with with good enough
47:00
as well. TJ I love I think he brings a bit of
47:04
nastiness that we need on the back end a little
47:06
bit. Mickens has done well. I think last year,
47:11
Maldon, we know can play, but has had some health
47:13
issues. Genesis, we don't know. I wouldn't expect
47:16
him getting many snaps early in the, in the year.
47:18
And Williamson, we kind of have hardly talked
47:20
about. So for me, it's good enough. Alistair,
47:23
before I do throw to you, what was interesting,
47:25
I was listening to it was either the athletic
47:27
or the ringer the other day. And they were talking
47:29
about the charged defenses. Is it a top 10 or
47:31
not? Um, and one of the pundits on there was
47:34
talking about how, what he heard from Chris O
47:38
'Leary's defense when he went to Eastern Michigan.
47:40
Is that right? Eastern, Western? Eastern Michigan.
47:42
Western, sorry, I should say. that he tried to
47:45
bring Minters playbook to, to, to the guys, he
47:48
essentially sort of put the playbook on the table
47:50
and said, this is what we're going to try and
47:52
do. And then as the season went on, he realized
47:54
that they couldn't actually do that sort of NFL
47:57
sort of style. And what he started to do is generate
48:00
different types of pressure and, and, and play
48:02
a little bit more man on the backend and try
48:04
to get pressure on the quarterback. So it is,
48:07
you brought it up before, like, you know, these
48:09
groups at CB and safety and, um, Are they good
48:13
enough to sort of maybe make that shift and go
48:16
to man? I'm with you because I didn't get a chance,
48:19
but I think that the CB group is, is needing
48:21
help too. But I think the safety group is good
48:23
enough. I do too. The one wild card is Genesis
48:27
Smith. Cause you asked, if you asked me, who
48:29
is the young springy guy with the range to cover
48:32
great expanses of distance. when you're blitzing
48:35
it would be that guy he's got like a 90 second
48:38
percentile wingspan and can we saw flashes of
48:41
it in the preseason elijah molden's kind of a
48:45
smaller guy with choppy legs he doesn't cover
48:47
great distance tony jefferson's an older player
48:50
so yeah i'm with you jack i do worry a little
48:53
bit if it is going to be more aggressive, unless
48:56
Genesis Kansas surprise us. I did have them as
48:59
good enough though. I do think Maldon's a good
49:02
player. Jefferson brings some hate. Derwin's
49:04
a superstar. So anything less than good enough,
49:06
I think would just not, not be acknowledging
49:08
those first three guys. Yep. Nice one. All right.
49:11
Let's round it out with a couple of superlatives
49:14
of the roster. Jackie Golden Broom, your best
49:17
position group on the team. Defensive line by
49:21
a long way. My boys. My boys. Al, who have you
49:27
gone with? Yep, defensive tackles. Nice. We have
49:33
to fight each other in a pit full of mud naked
49:36
for those then. I think I'm a little bit higher
49:40
on the youth in the safety room. My golden room
49:42
is the safety room for the charters. Boldest
49:46
call. So the bravest confirmed roster decision.
49:50
Jack. Well, what I, I actually had this as, uh,
49:56
cutting junior Colson. That was, I thought, I
50:00
thought that was a, a brave call given the connection
50:03
at Michigan and the draft capital that they put
50:06
in. I actually quite liked it. Didn't perform.
50:09
So we cut you on the practice squad. You'll probably
50:11
still play, but, but I like that. That's what
50:14
I said. Boulder's call. Jack, you're stealing
50:17
my lines, man. Seriously? Yeah, cutting Junior
50:20
Colson. Because I just, God, Hortiz must have
50:22
had some good intel. Maybe they just didn't care
50:25
if they lost him. But if the plan was they wanted
50:27
to get him back and did, wow. But bold call,
50:30
cutting your guy who, as you said at the top
50:32
of the show, Andy, was like a top five graded
50:35
linebacker across the league in the preseason.
50:37
Finally looks like he's coming good. Your third
50:39
round dude from Michigan. Cut! In some senses,
50:43
I'm really impressed by it. Goodness, it was
50:45
bold that he survived and made it to the practice
50:47
squad. And he did tick, tick, tick. Yep. Nice.
50:50
Uh, possibly another one for me was just the,
50:53
the number of edge and cornerbacks, uh, and sort
50:56
of the makeup, um, predominantly in the cornerback
50:59
room. I did also have a funny one. I, as I looked
51:01
through the roster, you know, I went full back.
51:04
Oh, no Scott Matlock, uh, offensive line. No
51:08
Scott Matlock, tight end. No Scott Matlock. No
51:14
Scott Matlock. But they found a way to keep him
51:17
around and he winds up on injured reserve designated
51:19
to return. Son of a gun. Hidden value Jack, most
51:24
underrated player or a role. I have to go back
51:27
to the defensive line and Alistair, if you've
51:29
got the same one, then that's incredible. It's
51:31
Justin, it's Justin Aboigbe. Don't tell me it
51:33
is. It's Justin Aboigbe. I'm saying it's Aboigbe.
51:37
I'm going back to the well. in terms and saying
51:41
that I actually thought it was a bit of a waste
51:43
of a pick. If he can provide that interior pass
51:45
rush, which is what we've seen flashes of that
51:48
makes that golden room. I was going to say something,
51:54
but I won't. It's going to make it even a more
51:55
golden room. Let's let's call it a that. So Justin
51:58
and Boyd V is his is the hidden value there.
52:05
That's what you do when you celebrate is it yeesh
52:08
Do you know if I spent more than 20 seconds thinking
52:11
about this answer I think yours is better than
52:13
mine and I would have ended up there so but I'm
52:15
glad I haven't gone three from three Copping
52:18
you I went with the key mesador Because I think
52:21
if someone like a Mac goes down or Tully for
52:24
a while It is going to be so important that he
52:26
can almost replicate the value. He's got a real
52:28
chance to make an impact this season in year
52:30
one Yeah, nice I had Alec Engold. I don't think
52:37
that Herbert or the Chargers have had a fullback
52:41
like this, so we've been kicking about with some
52:44
pretty rubbish names over the last few years.
52:47
Biggest opportunity, player whose role is set
52:49
to grow the most, Jack? Yeah, I've actually found
52:53
this one quite easy when I think of what we're
52:57
going to see on offense. I think it's got to
52:59
be Trey Harris. You line up with QJ, you line
53:04
up with Ladd, you line up with Trey. I think
53:07
the attention's going on the first two. Trey
53:09
Harris is going to really grow into the role
53:13
of the third wide receiver and to have him, the
53:17
calibre of a second round pick, the quality as
53:19
a third wide receiver. I think that's going to,
53:22
that's by mid -season we're going to be going,
53:24
oh boy, he's doing well. So Trey Harris for mine
53:27
in the biggest opportunity. Great chat. The biggest
53:32
opportunity is there for Arunde Gadsden to take.
53:36
As we said earlier, I thought he blocked well
53:40
on a lead toss play against the Rams. He wants
53:42
to become a better blocker. The chance is there.
53:45
He was so dominant in a couple of games last
53:48
year, having over 100 yards receiving. He can
53:51
grow into the role. He shouldn't be scared of
53:53
Najoku, who's on the back end of his career,
53:56
or even Cola, who's mainly been a blocking tight
53:58
end. he's got a great opportunity to be tight
54:01
end one if he wants it. Yeah. Wow. Tight end
54:06
one. Huge. Uh, I have Dayon Henley and Akeem
54:10
Esador, uh, for biggest opportunities, just seeing
54:13
Perryman go out and yeah, the thinness of the
54:16
edge group. Okay. The move that ages well decision
54:19
likely to look smarter by mid season. Alistair,
54:24
you, you go for this one because I'm interested
54:25
to see what you've got. I'm I'm just banking
54:30
on being totally wrong. It happens all the time
54:33
and I'm honestly going with Darius Davis and
54:40
that we've spent all this time laughing about
54:44
him. They keep telling us he was injured all
54:46
last year. They keep saying the dude was injured
54:48
all last year. We want this guy. He's a difference
54:50
maker. He's a difference maker on punt return.
54:54
What if he's had two punt return touchdowns by
54:56
mid season and we were all going, oh, okay. He's
54:58
back. Ficken. Special teams is looking good again.
55:01
Maybe that is the move that age as well that
55:03
we've all been canning this pre -season. That's
55:05
my left field pick. My one is going back to the
55:11
blue chipper. His name is Jake Slaughter. Fanbase
55:16
was divided on the pick. It is now... already
55:24
looked like a good decision to take a center
55:27
that early because of the Beardish injury. I
55:30
just have this feeling and I really hope that
55:33
I'm right. I really hope that I'm right that
55:35
even though I did criticize him for his play
55:36
strength, I feel like just he's meant to be this
55:40
smart, eloquent, erudite, hard worker, yes sir,
55:44
no sir, guy and that by the middle of the season,
55:49
we're getting these games into a hopefully what
55:52
will be our starting centre for the foreseeable
55:56
future depending on how well Beardish comes back.
55:59
I'm really, really hoping that is the case for
56:02
Hortiz. I'm loving the positivity out of these
56:06
two. My move that age as well is Joe Hortiz manufacturing
56:10
sixth round draft picks for undrafted free agents.
56:14
Welcome the trade deadline. At least one of them
56:17
for this year. Guys, a one word verdict. I'd
56:21
say give grades, but let's just give a one word
56:23
verdict to close it out of the roster. What have
56:27
you got Jack? Alistair or one of you two can
56:31
go I just need to I need to think that's okay
56:33
right now in case you haven't been able to tell
56:37
all show listeners it's apprehensive that is
56:41
my word for how I'm feeling right now now ask
56:44
me we're in war but an Andy watching with 25
56:49
beers against the Cardinals and I will be excited,
56:52
pumped, thrilled, every other word under the
56:55
sun. Right now, it's apprehensive because of
56:58
all the things I've seen that haven't quite gone
57:01
to plan yet, but the season hasn't even begun
57:04
yet. So I'm hopeful that these nerves are just
57:07
me being a bit of a little coward earlier in
57:09
the season and we'll pick it back up. Yeah, mine
57:13
is almost. It's just not quite there to be one
57:19
of these rosters that you look back over and
57:22
go, yep, that's a Super Bowl team. I just think
57:25
there's a lack of polish and some of it's come
57:28
up with luck as well. Beardish is a big one.
57:32
This year, Slater, so there's just a lot is being
57:38
banked on potential. Almost and I'm hoping that
57:42
changes too. Hey, there we go. We saw it. I have
57:46
one and the word is McDaniel It's the one thing
57:52
it's the one thing to end and and that's where
57:56
I landed I was gonna go with introspective or
57:59
apprehensive was one of them or you know calm
58:02
or no Realistically Andy, can you get up what
58:05
the prompt was? We were meant to give one word
58:07
on what it was on the final roster, wasn't it?
58:11
I make it just says final overall grades. To
58:15
close it out, to close out, to close it out.
58:19
It's a perfect Daniel. I find it. I find myself
58:25
coming back all the questions that I have of
58:28
this team, all the questions. Cause I was thinking
58:30
like, Well, where does Herbert go? If this doesn't
58:33
work, what is the criticism? It's like, you've,
58:36
you've got the best offensive coordinator in
58:38
the game. And if it doesn't work, then where
58:40
am I? And I go back to it's McDaniel. I go to
58:43
the offensive line. I look at what are we going
58:45
to, it's going to be McDaniel. I look at the
58:47
running back. It's going to be McDaniel. I look
58:49
at, Hey, but then I go, well, if the defense
58:53
is going to be, you know, are they going to be
58:54
put under pressure from the office? Is it going
58:55
to be turning? It's McDaniel. So my one word
58:59
verdict is McDaniel. Awesome. I think that's
59:01
an awesome place to end up. Guys, we want to
59:05
hear what your one word verdict is on the Chargers
59:08
roster. I hope you've had fun with us breaking
59:10
it down. We'll see you next time on the Thunderdown
59:13
Under Chargers podcast. Hooroo! Bye, Hooroo!
59:41
Looking fiery, he's got Floyd turning, go!