NFL: The InsidersThe Insiders Podcast: Aaron Rodgers Clears the Air and Chargers LB Khalil Mack Joins the Show
In this episode of NFL Network Insiders, Tom Pelissero, Judy Batista, and Mike Garafolo kick off the show with a deep dive into all things training camp. They discuss the heated exchange between Aaron Rodgers and Garrett Wilson and Falcons owner Arthur Blank defending his decision to draft quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Later, Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack joins Tom Pelissero and Daniel Jeremiah for an exclusive interview. The insiders also cover DJ Moore’s 4-year contract extension and provide an update on Brandon Aiyuk’s contract negotiations.
Training camps rolling on across the NFL. Jared Goff and the Lions on the field today in Allen Park, Michigan. We will go there. We will go to Green Bay, Wisconsin, where Jordan Love, the NFL's two hundred and twenty million dollars quarterback, out there as well. We'll be with the Rams in LA and we'll be with Justin Herbert and the Chargers right here at the Bolt, their new training facility in El Segundo. Welcome inside with the Insiders alongside Judy Battista and Mike Garafalo. I am Tom Pellisero outside here on a beautiful day in southern California, where the Chargers wrapping up. Some special teams work right behind me. We've got some very special guests coming up on this edition of The Insiders, presented by Rocket Mortgage. We will also talk about things Aaron Rodgers had to say today about some of those exchanges he's had on the sideline with Gara Wilson. We will talk about Kirk Cousins. Why does he feel like he is full of all this rage? Just that's a real word that came out of Kirk Cousin's mouth. We'll also talk about some of the big wide receiver deals, especially in light of the DJ Moore extension. But let's start out with the two time defending champs in Saint Joseph, Missouri, where the Chiefs got a little reinforcements today. Mike garrotfalo I had mentioned a few days ago Chris Jones the Chiefs were not overly concerned of what they called a sore growing or a growing strange. Sure enough, a couple days later, he's back out there and certainly a critical piece for your guys, Steve Spagnolo's.
Defense, no doubt about it.
You got to watch the Insiders every day, even if we're only on for a couple of minutes during another show called Inside Training Camp, because we gave you this update and told you even though Ady Reid gave a will see, we said, no, we're pretty confident that Chris Jones and the Chiefs just airing on the side of caution on this one.
Why rush him out there.
He's got the experience in Steve Spagnolo's de's got the experience in the NFL period of being a disrupting force.
Why would you want.
To further aggravate that growing Well, got to the point where he got the clearance to be back on the field, and you.
Know, like I said, why would you want to risk it? But by the same.
Token, Chris Jones is so good because he worked so hard day in and day in at day out at training camp. So for him to get the chance to get back out there without any concern of aggravating that growing further, he said, yep, I'm in there.
I'm going back and getting my reps in.
And they got some reinforcements back on the offensive side of the ball too. Receiver Hollywood Brown, who missed a couple of practices with an illness, He also returned to practice today, which is really good news because that means the Chiefs had Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy, and Rashie Rice at practice all at the same time, which hasn't happened all that much so far in training camp because Zavier Worthy missed some time with his own illness earlier in camp. And obviously, if you are the Kansas City Chiefs, you want to give these receivers as much time as possible. With Patrick Mahomes, we know that the offense didn't get off to the best start last season. Obviously they are hoping for much different results, especially important for Hollywood Brown since he's new there on. Xavior Worthy is a rookie, so hopefully they keep all these guys on the field together now that everybody seems to be feeling better.
There was a video flowing around today as Xavier Worthy maybe getting shoved around a little bit getting off the line of scrimags. Well, welcome to the NFL moment, I would say this is for being a Chiefs training camp on Monday. They quite possibly are the fastest team in the NFL, and I know the Dolphins are still really fast, but they've got so much speed at that wide receiver group. They just haven't had all those guys on the field together a whole lot in camp. Canarius Tony today suffered an ankle injury. No real update on that from Andy Reid. They also an injury to linebacker Nick Bolton, who's one of their young standouts on defense, course the Super Bowl Hero a couple of years ago. He got his elbow caught between a couple of players in practice.
Today.
I am told, though there's optimism, this is not something significant for Nick Bolton, which of course is really good news for the Kansas City Chiefs elsewhere in Florham Park. The Jets have had some things floating around on social media, including Aaron Rodgers and Garrett Wilson gesticulating a little bit during practice what exactly is going on here? Eric.
There's often appearance first reality in life and on the football field, and what it appears to be might not always be with the reality actually is. As far as whether or not we're upset with each other, we're just passionately talking about the details of a situation that might not have to do with either of us. So G and I got a great relationship. We spend time together out the field. On the field, there's a way of doing things that we both agree on.
I mean, those videos they look a certain way, and you know, we're both passionate guys out on the football field, you know. And I mean I was just telling Jared and like, I'm a different guy out on the field than I am, you know, whenever y'all y'all see me after the game or whatever it may be. And Aaron's kind of the same way. So it's really just a conversation that we're both like minded. You know, we're trying to figure out a way to attack our defense, and he'll tell me why he needed me at this debt. You know, I'll play receiver. So I'm like, man, I was opening here. You know, that's just how I am.
Mike Garrett Wilson.
I was at a game in Cleveland a couple of years ago where he had a massive day, but he was barking the entire game. He was talking to everybody. He plays with a ton of passion. You see that on the practice field. What are you making at this stage in camp?
I love it, I love it. I love it. Okay, this is what we signed up for. This is what the Jets signed up for.
As long as Aaron Rodgers stays healthy, it's always going to be this kind of passion.
It's always going to be this guy.
Because he'll give it to the entire team, right And I love that. Garrett Wilson is an equal opportunity barker. Whether you're Zach Wilson, the number two overall pick who never quite lived up to expectations, or whether you're a future Hall of Fame Super Bowl winning quarterback who just arrived last year and.
Played only four snaps, He's going to give it to you. I love it.
I think it's great because you know what, Jets fans, You've got high expectations, and these are two guys right here that have the high expectations. It's training camp. It's not even late in training camp. It's early in training camp. And here they are going about their business to make sure that they are on the spot. The one the other day ended with like a smile and a handshake. This one was a little thing shakier towards the end. But I'm not reading into it. You know why, Judy, we're going to be there on Friday.
We're going to talk to folks about it. I love it. The Jets are fun.
Actually, you would not have seen that with Zack Wilson because that didn't happen with Zack Wilson. Zack Wilson wasn't holding receivers to account the way it was.
One is holding them.
To account, right, It was one way. And this is part of We talked about the Aaron Rodgers experience a few days ago. This is one of the Aaron Rodgers experience. This is what you want him to do. You want him to raise everybody's level. Listen, Baldy and I talked to Aaron about Garrett Wilson only a few days ago. He loves the guy. He wants him to practice at the level he thinks he needs to practice at. But he thinks he's got all the talent in the world. And all of this barking and him getting into Garrett Wilson's face and Garrett getting into Aaron Rodgers face. This is Rogers trying to elevate Garrett Wilson because he thinks he has the potential to be among the best receivers in the game.
I would say this too on Aaron Rodgers. He's always been somebody who has.
Had bad body language at times.
It's something that for a long time in Green Bay, even when he was playing MVP level, they kind of tried to work with a win on and coach those things out of him. To see Aaron Rodgers face to face with Garrett Wilson as opposed to simply throwing up his arms and moving on shows a level of engagement. I'm with you, guys. That doesn't really bother me. Now, of course we see that. Well, let's say in San Francisco Monday night in Week one, maybe a slightly different conversation. At that point, the Jets don't yet have the quarterback to come after Aaron Rodgers. The Falcons, on the other hand, made sure that they absolutely did have the quarterback to.
Come after Kirk Cousins.
Just six weeks after giving him one hundred million dollar Gary Teed contract, they drafted Michael Pennix at the number eight overall spot. Kirk Cousins certainly sounds excited about the season, and owner Arthur Blank today spoke on exactly why they made that move.
The decision about pinis in this case at number eight. I'll go back a little bit and say that we've made it clear to Kirk and others that, you know, we probably were going to draft a quarterback during this During this draft, as it turned out, Michael Pinnix, for our coaching staff and our personnel department graded extraordinarily high. They viewed him as a tremendous player.
Yeah, we both kind of had times we walk around the building with like a healthy state of rage underlying rage if that makes sense, that like we got to be better? How can we be better? It's not good enough, I'm not good enough, and so you try to not only have that yourself, but like conflicted on other people in a good way where everybody's standards being raised, and so I do think it's a talking point whether we're in the lunch room or at the locker room or on the field.
Time now for Built for Success presented by Rocket Mortgage. There is something slightly disconcerting of Kirk Cousins smiling that much while talking about raids, but I digress. Look at the offensive playmakers right now for the Falcons, of course by Jean Robinson, Drake Lundon, Kyle Pitts, all top ten picks in recent years.
They add Darnel Mooney in the offseason.
They still have Tyler Algarro, who of course has been a big piece of their offense as well.
Judy though.
One of the things hovering over this team going into this season, of course, is going to be not just at what point potentially could Michael Pennix take over in the future, but if he looks good in training camp, how that impacts the dynamics on this team.
What do you make of what Blake said, Well.
When you listen to Arthur Blank, it's clear that he bears some of the scars after the Matt Ryan departure, that they didn't have a real succession plan in place that worked and he is not going to let that happen to his franchise again, which is understandable. Having said that, as you pointed out, drafting a quarterback this high, even if they told Kirk Cousins, yeah, we're probably going to draft a quarterback. I'm at top ten quarterback. When you draft a quarterback this high, you create an expectation that he could get on the field sooner rather than later. Now, obviously they are married to Kirk Cousins for a while because of the contract, but he's coming off a very serious injury. What happens if he struggles out of the gate, There's going to be an awful lot of chatter about is penis ready to go? And then the flip side of this is also, might you have used that pick instead for a player who would get on the field immediately and help the team now, because presumably you are trying to win a Super Bowl in the next few years while you have Kirk Cousins. So I understand Arthur Blank's thinking, and I understand the fear of just not having the future set up the way you want it set up. But I do think that this pick has created what could be some unnecessary drama. If Kirk Cousins, you know, stumbles coming out of.
The gate, Cousins has that underrated rage, he'll he'll smile while he's talking about it.
Tom, that's true, but it is there.
And I don't mean just when you know, they're out of his size in the toffee colored plaid short sleeve shirt, you know, and they only have extra smalls left. I mean, you know, you like that guy from way back, Let's not forget that's him.
I mean, you don't get this far and you don't go through the situations in which he's felt disrespected, two of them, one in Washington, one in Minnesota, actually three of them now if you count Atlanta too. You don't make it through those and persevere through those and continue to produce through those and get paid on the other end of those if you don't have that kind of a rage there.
So you know, the.
Falcons made this move knowing, yeah, it's gonna tick Kirk off a little bit, but that might not be a bad thing.
And I think he'll probably play as well as he possibly can to stick it to not only thirty one other teams but his own team.
All Right, football is back Thursday night. That's tomorrow.
We've got an action game.
It is the Hall of Fame game the Houston Texans and the Chicago Bears. You're gonna see a real live football game, how about that? Coming up tomorrow night. You're also going to see every preseason game this year on NFL Network, including a lot of live games. Just squint, trust me everything on the upcoming graphic here. All those games, you'll get them live. It starts next Thursday night with the Panthers at the Patriots. We've also got Steelers and Texans in that first preseason week, a triple header on August tenth, and a couple of good ones on Sunday August eleventh as well, including the probable preseason debut of first round draft pick Bo Nicks for the Denver Broncos. Coming up after this, we've got some very special guests joining us out here at La Chargers camp. We will also check in on that team, the San Francisco forty nine Ers and Christian McCaffrey, who doesn't run like that all the time, but when he does, it's.
Still entertaining to watch. Stick around.
It's the Insiders presented by Rocket Mortgage. Welcome Back to the Insiders, presented by Rocket Mortgage, Tom Pellicero, Daniel Jeremiah, joined now by a dude who had seventeen sacks last season at age thirty two.
Khalil Mack is with us. What's going on? Man?
Not much?
Man, I having fun going into the year eleven training camp number eleven?
For you, how do you feel physically? How do you feel mentally? Where you are right now?
A man just taking it one day at a time, man, just embracing it, getting questions from the younger guys about how to take care of my body and all these different things, and so just shaying the information and coming out here and having fun with my guys.
We were talking before we came on about this being your eleventh training camp.
That feels like it's gone by in the blink.
Of an eye.
Man, how much have you seen this young group of guys?
You got some young rushers behind you enjoy How much have you seen the improvement from them early on?
Here? Oh? Man, you got it?
Yeah, Like you said, you got guys like Tooley and Chris, but you got the older guys like a Budd and Joey. Everybody's sharing information and we all just trying to come out here and get better, find one thing to get better at every day, and as a group, hopefully we can we can make some noise this year.
So Jim Harbaugh gets hired back after last season. I'm sure everybody you don't need an explanation for Jim Harbor. You don't not google in his bile. You know exactly who he is. Day by day you watch him out here. He's run around wearing cleats on the field with the players.
What do you see from that guy?
Oh?
Man, A lot of different things, man, but you could tell why he's won. My wife's been so successful throughout his coaching career and his and his playing career, just understanding who he is as a man, gaining the understanding of who he is as a man. He's a straight shooter, but he also is going to tell you what he likes and what he doesn't like from the standpoint of how he likes the pace of practice, and what he expects us to do and how he expects us to get better and push each other every day. And so it's it's it's one of those feelings where you definitely don't want to let it.
I like that now one of the things we've seen.
You know, we always talking about copycat league when you look at the college level. In the NFL level, the Ravens Michigan defensive models been copied all over the place. Now with coach Minner here, what is it about this scheme that seems to maximize you guys individual talents?
I mean.
Coach Minner Man, he has a he has a different approach. I think he is expectations is to let us go when it comes from the standpoint of the rushers with Joey and myself and Bud and Touley and Chris. He wants to let us go and make plays. Man the same with Derwin and all those guys on the back end. It's gonna be exciting to see. Without trying to give away too much, Yeah, but it's gonna be exciting to see and be a part of what.
It sounds like to me, your car might be going forward a little bit much more than refers.
You know what I'm saying.
Who knows, Man, who knows?
I know it's gonna be a mix of everything Man and Coach Minner He's going to do his best to put us all in the right positions, and yeah, I definitely trust him.
So back back in March, the Charges had a salary cap issue, and it came to all you guys, all the veterans, Yes, everybody take a little haircut on their contracts. Keenan didn't. He's now in Chicago. Mike didn't. He's out with the Jets. You enjoyed did for you personally at this age, coming off of seventeen SAX season, why'd you decide, you know what, this is still the spot I want to.
Be man, I understood.
I kind of just took a step back and and kind of just really scoped out and I just tried to take an understanding for what it was. Just looking across the league. Used to look at certain teams, You look at certain quarterbacks, and I knew what I had in this locker room this past year, even though it didn't turn out the way we wanted to. I know we got a ten back there. I know we got a nine to seven. I know we got a one. I know we got fifteen coming in here, a young guy, but.
I know he's gonna hold it down.
And it's just from that standpoint, I know it got a three on the back end, and so at two six isante Samuel. I know the heart of this team, and I know what we're capable of, and I know we can put it together.
I'm gonna ask you my last question here because you mentioned all these numbers, how about seventy six. I get a chance of a few years, We got a chance to be around each other, to ask you to put your scouting hat on.
Yeah, Joelt going up against him.
We talk about you got to give him an education a little bit and what the NFL is all about?
What have you seen, oh man? Just the work ethic. I could tell why he got to this point. I can tell he's he has the knowledge. He had the knowledge from probably from birth, just from his pops alone. But him getting that information from Rashan and all those guys, it's gonna work, wonders. But just putting Joey and Tuley and myself and Bud on the edge with him and talking through some things with him, it's going to turn a lot of weaknesses in the strength form.
And so it's it's definitely trending the way we wanted to.
Right now, let's last thing for you.
So the expect are gonna be really high, in part because you got the coach you do. His first year in San Francisco, he took a not very good team and went to the NFC championship game russ in a really really tough division where you got the two time defending champs and the Chiefs obviously Denver and the Raiders kind of getting their programs they hope going in the right direction here. What does it take for this Chargers team to be competing with the best, not just in your division but.
In the NFL.
I mean, it's gonna take playing great defense, great team defense, just understanding the offensive weapons that we have in this this HU this conference alone with a Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs is dominating, It's gonna take ah It's gonna take a defensive effort, even though you got to adjustin Herbert on our end, and knowing what he's capable of with the offense. In the rank game that we're looking to have this year, it's gonna it's gonna be. It's gonna be a sight to see. Man, Nothing I want to talk about too much.
But I thought you were just gonna say, you know, six sacks against the.
Yeah, I read it, Yeah, I read it, just so I read it just show to put the put the effort behind it, and they're not the words.
He hasn't never given anybody a Baltimore.
Yeah yeah, yeah, no even showing it, showing it for ten years. Man, Best of luck, thanks.
For joining us.
You got it's Khalil Mack, Chargers Star defensive and a lot more here from Chargers Camp. Coming up on The Insiders presented by Rocket Morigins. We'll also checking on this guy who just got paid. He's playing with Keenan Allen in Chicago. DJ Moore another big contract. What's the impact on that. I'm Brandon Ayuk, Ceedee Lamb, Jamar Chase. We'll dig into it next. Welcome back to the Insiders presented by Rocket Mortgage. We are live at Chargers training camp at the Bolt. Tom Pilaicero, Daniel Jeremiah joined now, but the number five overall pick in the draft, Joe alt You got a good sweat going here, Joe. It's it's a nice breeze out here and so in California. But you're working when you're going up against guys like Khalil Mack in practice.
Yeah, one hundred percent.
I love the work and I'm always a sweaters you're alway going to see the leak and at least that's that's how I'm putting the right kind of work.
I'll be sweating.
No, look, trust me, I'm excited to watch you play.
But if you see me during the interview over here though, But I'm just trying.
I got a nice sweaty and.
So far in camp, Man, the transition to college.
The NFL, it's different for everybody.
But how much is your dad's knowledge and preparing you for this moment?
How has that helped you?
Yeah, I mean he's prepared me a talent, especially through this transition from college to you know, the NFL, to the combine, through picking an agent, all that stuff and out being here. Just the expectation going into your first training camp and how much different is going to be and the key differences with the key similarities between college and the NFL.
You ever seen a head coach out here stand next to the huddling cleats?
I have, And that's my first thing.
I know this, you know day when I got to the charge, I saw him in cleets and I was like, I've never seen a head coach in cleets or we're doing these you know these endings of practice, these finishers, and he's out there flipping stuff with us, and I'm like, it's so impressive, and it's just never seen a coach who was you know, that brought into the game.
What do you what do you like about him from what you've seen so far?
I think that's a huge thing for me. He's just that the buy and he wants to be with the players. He wants to you know, gain the game the players attention and respect, and I think that's huge. And I think just the the commitment to the players overall is what I've noticed so much so far.
How cool is it to have someone like Rashaan Slater on the other side to get a chance to kind of get comfortable in this league and have him.
To lean on.
Yeah, I mean it's been it's been huge for me, especially this is first you know, col practice is just leaning on him and what he went through as a rookie and what he's seen and a little pointer is here and there, and just you know, understand the playbook and everything like that. Just leaning on him for all those little questions that are you know, just someth night I don't maybe want to, you know, voice in the team room or something like that. I just want to go to someone who knows, you know, more about the position, more about the game, and just be ask him what I want.
Has been huge for me.
I'm sure you know a little bit about Justin Herbert for either, you know, just seeing him playing on TV, kind of understanding where he came from. Here being around that guy every day in the huddle, what jumps out?
Actually, yeah, I think competitors the first thing that jumps out to me when he steps through that huddle, that's different person off the field. Love talking to him, But when he steps in that huddle to a different person and he's ready to go out there and win it and do it at no matter what.
He's going out there to win.
I think that's the biggest thing I know this so far. I know you guys have some joint practice coming up this weekend.
How much are you looking forward to seeing some new guys to go up again?
Yeah?
I always looking forward to, you know, going up against new guys, but there's nobody better than our our edge group and go up against their getting ready every single day, and it's been a great work for me so far.
But also it's nice you know, beat up on somebody else.
What was what was the first rush you got, either from Joey or from Khalil?
What was the first one they tried to get you?
I don't remember, but it's been all sorts of things, you know, speed of power, power, you know, working the edge, everything, And for me, it's just every opportunity to go up against guys who are so good and so get their their job and just be onble to get a little bit better each and every day.
Go up against them has been really big for me.
Mike Devlin has been coaching offensive line for a long time in this league. There's always gonna be little things here that you're working on. What what are some of the pointers or the technique things that you can still feel like you can get better at.
Yeah, I think the biggest things are always just throwing your hands.
Your hands your weapons and offensive especially in the past porn offensive line being able to use them as weapons and disrupt pass rushers and get them out of their second moves. There's always something you're trying to perfect and land that hand exactly how you want to with the right timing, so that's obviously really important.
And then just making sure your feet.
Are as you know, precise and efficients that can be in the run game, getting that gain that ground you can and being able to move when you need to and how you need to.
I'm curious looking at what's ahead. Have you peaked at any Max Crosby tape yet? Has that process started your Week one opponent?
Yeah, I mean I always I'm a big film study guy, So I've jumped into the film and I always look at the whole whole group, the whole schedule, and just you know, focusing in and just getting kind of a head start as we know propel here to the season.
So, I mean, you're going up against good players every weekend, call it, but this is this is a different level here the type of guys you're going to see on a week eight week out basis. It's also a longer season that you've ever played in your life. Well, what type of proactive things are you doing just to have your body and your brain in the right position to go through this entire long.
Yeah, I think the brain part's huge, And that's what kind of I've always started, is you have to be locked in, you know the task at hand and what that is, and then when you're outside of the building, make sure you're getting rest and kind of putting football asleep and not letting it dwell on you so you can get your proper like it leep's the most important. Getting that recovery is really important. But also when you're out of the building, you gotta run back through anything. Make sure the next day you have the film prepared. The players you're gonna run have that down. And physically it's for me, it's always all about being proactive before practice, making sure I'm properly stretched out and you know, have my body in the top shape before I go out there.
And those have been the things I've done so far.
What do you do when you unplug?
Like if you're just gonna get a little bit of a break, Can we get into the.
College football video game here?
Like?
What is our unplugged?
Yeah, my own plug.
I got a lot of family I gotta go and call, so I guess that's kind of my unplug ish My dad I can't really unplug for because he's always asking me how the practice went. But everybody else in the family on plug and talk to. But otherwise right now, it's just going back in that hotel, pull them back that freshly made bed and just kind of.
Land down and just letting the body wrest a little bit.
Yeah, so Joe, speaking of the family. Last thing for you here.
I think a lot of people's first impression of you in the NFL was your reaction or lack thereof to when the pick is in. I don't know if there was a delay or exactly what was going on, but number one one, can you take us through that moment?
In number two? Are are you happy to be here?
Yeah? That's so what the first part there was a delay.
There was a second seven second delay on our TV from one and actually like that showed up on our TV.
So that's ill, you know, put that down first.
And then yes, of course I'm extremely had to be a charger and excited for this opportunity to join this organization and just you know, put my best foot forward by working hard every day and just being determined to you know, perfect myself, affect my ability and use the abilities that I'm blessed with the maximum.
Joe, best to luck, man, Go towel off out whatever you gotta do. Don't wipe yourself on DJ anymore. Thanks not for being here, man, good Thanks you guys, Study's Chargers offensive lineman Joe Ault as we head over to Mike Hera Fulham.
That is a large human being, and that's a large contract. Dj Moore four years, one hundred and ten million dollars with eighty two point six guaranteed. He had two years remaining, so add the four he's now into contract for six.
It makes sense for the Bears to do this.
Deal right now rather than wait a little bit, because that wide receiver money, as we've seen this offseason, has only gone up. Judy, come on in here and rejoin me, Judy Batista, as we discuss this deal and what it means for I don't know if it means as much for Ceedee Lamb.
I think it means a whole lot.
For Brandon Ayuk because Brandon Ayuk had an offer from the forty nine Ers that was below this, and it's hard to compare the two contracts because Moore's a little later in his career.
He had the two years left.
Ayuk excuse me getting his first bite at the apple on this one as far as a contract extension goes.
But all these guys were up.
At twenty seven and a half, twenty eight and Ayuk's offwer was down at twenty six reportedly, which sounds like.
That was the case.
He's got to be looking at this saying, like I told you forty nine ers, it's up.
Here right well.
To me, if twenty eight is the number, which is sort of the number we keep hearing, then that this contract makes that, you know, that puts it in context, right like. It means that that number is not wildly out of range for Brandon Ayuk. Whether that helps get a deal done remains to be seen, but it does mean that he is not asking for in the context of where the market is now. He's not asking for an outrageously high amount of money compared to his peers and compared to where he is in this wide receiver class. As you said, I don't think it means quite as much for Cede Lamb because I think he's at a different tier. He's in the Justin Jefferson market. But I do think for Brandon Ayuk, yes, I think this is a telling contract and I think it does provide more context for what he's been asking for.
So you saw that video Brandon Ayuk wapping up both John Lynch, the general manager and Kyle Shanahan, the head coach. Everybody said, oh, they just come to terms on a dealer, are they No, we're not there yet.
Remember he had that trade request in.
That was part of the hold in with regard to him reporting the camp but not participating. So we're still keeping an eye on where this is going. It could go in several different directions. But no, that was not an indication that something was done. Besides, you're still talking to see what the resolution is going to be. Omar Ruiz is going to join us in a second here to talk about this guy, Brock Party twenty eight. You know, listen, we're talking about Brock Purty as a game manager, right.
No, uh, the players don't agree.
The top one hundred players of twenty twenty four on NFL Network and they've got Purty up at twenty eight.
You don't put game managers up there. He's much more than that. He's going to be paid much more like that.
Omar Ruiz now joining us to talk about Brock Perty's real first training camp as the start. Remember he was injured last year, so what are the expectations Excuse me for Perty now that he gets the chance to be the starter for an entire training camp for the first time in his career.
Yeh, sky high, Mike.
I think being in that locker room when he first had that significant action against the Dolphins two Decembers ago, confidence was high in brock Purtty from everything that his teammates had seen on the practice field, and he's only proven that in the year and a half since he's been the starter.
For the forty nine ers.
Now you talk about he says he thinks like Kyle Shanahan, thinks he knows what Kyle is thinking, kind of having that symmetry. George Kittle told me over the weekend that, yes, it's still very much Kyle Shanahan's system, but the tweaks and adjustments they've made over the last year and a half are now suited for brock Purdy and his game, So you can say it is now his offense. So the more comfortable that he feels, the more confidence that he'll play with and they are seeing that from brock Purty. And I asked brock Purdy specifically, what about this offseason does he feel that he's improved the chemistry with his receivers. He says he feels stronger. Obviously, last offseason, just rehabbing, trying to get his arm functional. Well, now he feels like it's stronger. And Deebo also told me this past week that he sees that stronger arm in brock Purdy. So as much confidence as Brock Purdy has expressed in all the talent around him in Kyle Shanahan's system, they all have that confidence in Brock Purdy and expecting for a big year.
And you talked about Mike, that big.
Hug that Brandon Auk had with John Lynn and Kyle Shanahan at practice, and I will say, just being there three practices of the last several days, there does not feel like this huge cloud around the team, which I felt in different training camps in years past when big time guys have held out.
I don't know if it's.
Because they've had Nick Bose experience last year and Deebo Samuel the year before that, but those vibes that Brandon Nayuk and that reunion that he had with the brain trust of the forty nine ers seems to permeate through the rest of the team. They're as loose and carefree as you might expect a team with the expectations they have not letting these holdouts and hold in really affect their preparation on the field.
I'd agree with that.
I would say that having history as a guide and a reason for confidence is.
Probably part of that. The other part of it is that it's not like he's the guy. They've got so many guys there. It's like, Okay, yeah, he's on the side doing his own thing.
We got all these other guys, and not just with the team, just particularly on offense.
And that's part of why there's a problem with paying him. We got to pay all these other dudes.
Anyway, Omar Ruiz is on it when it comes to forty nine ers for sure.
Thank you all.
Mark heading back down to southern California the Dallas Cowboys. They're still in Oxnard, California, continuing training camp there there for a long time. Michael Parsons, of course, is one of the stars of that show. And frankly another star of that show was our very own Jane Slater, who was there for the start of training camp there and is now back home. Welcome home, Jane, and thanks for joining us here on the Insiders. And Mike is back to Jane. We were just discussing of Michaeh Parsons.
He was hi.
He was matching up against Tyler Guidon, the rookie. How's that looking.
Yeah, I would have worn my training camp shirt, guys, but after a week in Oxnard, it's over here getting laundry done, so I'll wear them on.
The next one for you. So clean clothes for this one.
Not a lot of clean jerseys for Micah Parsons. Now, to be fair, Micah Parsons did slip on this drill, but it was entertained, I think to some of us to see this rookie, Tyler Geyton, who the Cowboys picked in the first round this year, showing a lot of confidence inconsistency in their first day of padded practices. Here you can check it out right here. You can see Micah Parsons's number eleven right there on the end. The rookie left tackle watch this one and holds.
His own just fine.
We didn't put the one in there where Micah slipped because that was getting quite a bit of traction there on the internet.
You know.
I caught up with one of the offensive line coaches who works with a lot of guys in the off season, Brian Baldinger was just down here in Frisco. Dupe Mannyweather, he does the offensive line masterminds and he worked with Tyler Goyton. He said that it was Gotton who called him on Saturday, two days after he got dropped and said, let's get to work.
Getten stuck around the.
Frisco area worked out with our guy, Dupe Mannyweather, and he told me that, you know, they addressed cleaning up his movement patterns in terms of efficiency, getting his hands and seek. He also said that you know, this was a guy that just put in the work and you're beginning to see some of that. Like I said, they're really hoping that he can be somebody that steps in there in the absence of Tyron Smith when this off season went to the Jets, replacing a guy like him so hard. But Mi Coam Parson sat down with this guys. It was Daniel Jeremiah and myself and we said, you know, what are you looking for when you go up against Geydon and his first padded practice And he says, I can't wait to get him in the lions Den.
He's going to fill my speed.
Well.
I think Tyler Gydon also showed him. You're going to fill some of the work that I've been working on this off season. So I think we can feel pretty good about that left tackle position. Again, it's early in camp, but raising a lot of eyebrows.
Really impressed with some of the reps that we saw out there.
Jane, Thanks, welcome home, Get the laundry done, get back out.
On the road.
Yeah, we'll see last few shirts and when.
We return wearing this one her shirt. Her shirt looks really nice. When we return on the Insiders, we're going back to the Chargers. Sante Samuel is going to join us.
Welcome back to the Inside. It's presented by Rocket Mortgage. Live here at the Bolt, the La Chargers new home. Tom Pilaicerio joined right now by a Sante Samuel Junior.
What's up man?
How are we doing?
How you doing man?
I'm doing great, happy to be here. This is one of the most beautiful settings. Perfect weather at this facility. Looks like it's amazing.
It's definitely, it's amazing. I'm glad to be here. I'm glad he made it, and I'm glad to be here.
So tell me about there's a lot of new out here, right Yes, new teammates, but you also got almost an entirely new coaching staff. We talked so much about Jim Harbat. Tell me about Jesse Mentors. A pretty young dude had success in Michigan now running this defense.
Jesse Messi, he's a smart coach man. He's he's very detail oriented. He always wants the best worst players. He's open minded, and he's continuing trying to to understand us a little bit better on the field and see what works for us, see what doesn't work for us, And I just I'm glad he's our coach right now.
A lot of people have been applying that system at Michigan with the Baltimore Ravens. What's the biggest difference for you guys on the back end of the scheme.
Uh, it's kind of, you know, it's kind of the same thing, but different nuances with certain coverages and you know, certain fits and things in that nature. But it's kind of the same thing, same football. But you know, he has his way, his kind of his swag of how to call it.
So everybody knows the big names on defense, especially yourself. You got Derwin James, you got Khalil Mack, you got joy Bo, cidentzeal Paramans back out here. Now, tell me about some of the young dudes, Like who's jumped out of you on either side of the ball.
Do you think it's been impressive in this I.
Feel like all the rookiees been coming out and working on hard. Cam Hart to lead Tarheeb, Keen Den, I play with him at FSU. It's a lot of guys that's just out here continuing to get better each and every day. And I just commend those guys, man, because it's hard, you know, jumping from college to the NFL, and you know, and they accept.
The challenge and I'm happy for them, and I just hope they keep going.
One of the big questions for this team obviously got Justin Herbert at quarterback, but it's who's going to catch the ball from because a couple of guys win a lot of catches. Keenan, Allen, Mike Williams aren't here anymore. You go up against these guys on a daily basis, what do you think of this receiver?
This receiver group is going to be a sneaky receiver group that a lot of people are going to sleep on because they don't have the hype as of right now, but they're going to be very good. They most of them are proven already a DJ chart, Joshua Palmer, guys coming along. Quentin Johnson, we have a lot of faith in him, and there's Davis. This is a lot of guys I can name that's just coming along. And you know, we're just practicing right now, so you know, practice is not always gonna look how you wanted to look.
But when it comes to game, they I feel like them guys are going to floorish.
I was struck by how quiet it is.
There's no music, like when you guys are going seven out of seven to eleven on eleven?
Is that tough to adjust it?
It's definitely different, you know, but it feels like we're more locked in and we're more focused, and we're more trying to work football instead of just you know, just out here have fun. You know, we're still fun, but you know we're still out here getting better at each and every day.
So there'snna be a lot of expectations on this team. Because you got Jim Harbaugh as your head coach. You also got those guys in Kansas City. They won the last two Super Bowls, what does it take for you guys to compete with the best and they happen to be in your division.
I feel like we just have to take it one day at a time.
You know, we can't look too far ahead, and we can't look at what happened in the past and even just got to attack every day with just extreme amount of detail and enthusiasm, Like the coach says, is enthusiasm unknown man unknown to man conn So you know, other than that, you know.
We don't really look too far ahead.
We're worried about we have the Raiders first game, so but even that preseason games, joint practice is Sunday, So we just trying to maximize our opportunity with the joint practice on Sunday.
He's still using that line, Huh, using that one forever? Like, what else do you see from him? I know he's got a lot of catchphrases. He literally just walked over here, was ready to sit down and sent til someone said, no, you're doing this with Kyle Brand for Good Morning Football.
This is not actually the show you're going to be on it. What do you see from him every day?
Man? He's a cool guy.
Man, from what I heard from the outside of before he was our head coach, it was like up and down.
But when I got to meet him, he's a great coach. He'sus. He's a smart coach.
He loves his players, he's want to protect his players, and he's just want the best for us, and he knows it and we trust him and he has the track record and he did he did it before at all levels, so you know, we were all in with him.
So I know one of your agentsies for Grab's out here practice today. You're going into a contract here. You're probably gonna get paid. I big is this year for you on a personal On.
A personal level, man, I try to make it as a team. I probably don't.
I try to.
I try not to make it about me when we're on the field because it's a team game.
I can't do this by myself.
It's ten other guys on the field that's helping me do my job better. So I can never just say it's it's a meat thing. So you know what, I'm just trying to make the defense better. I just want to have the number one defense in the National Football League. That's what we that's what I'm chasing right now. So it's a team thing right now.
Very good answer. Best of luck Man, thanks for sitting down to South. They really appreciate it.
Thank you, Broth, Thank you for having.
It's a Sante Samuel junior. Now for a guy who played with his dad, the Sante Samuel. How about Tom Brady?
What would a.
Preseason be without mentioning him? We get some wild Tom Brady stats about his very first preseason appearance. That's next on the Insiders.
All right here, your top one hundred players of twenty twenty four, presented by NFL Network.
We're gonna fill in the blanks. But number eighteen is eighteen.
I know a lot of you out there right now are saying, how could that be so low. It's not just because of the jersey number. It was voted on by the players. So let's figure out who else gets filled in there in the blanks.
Watch the Top one hundred players of twenty twenty.
Four on NFL Network August second, which is in two days by my math. And this was twenty four years ago by my math, and the control rooms were winging it right here, ladies and gentlemen. Tom Brady coming out and showing that he could manage say those stats again, please, three for four for twenty eight yards. And if you were watching the game that night, boy you said this guy is gonna be a seven time Super Bowl winner. No, but you may have said, hey, the Patriots got themselves a little bit of something here. Scott Pioli, our buddy here at NFL Network, has said repeatedly that they saw some things from Brady that led him to believe when.
He turned it over to him that yeah, they had themselves something there.
So he showed them right there in the Hall of Fame game up twenty still throwing the ball? Will either of these teams be throwing the ball when they're up twenty? Here is your Hall of Fame game the Houston Texas Chicago Bears, Thursday, August eight, eight pm Eastern, ESPN, ABC.
NFL Plus. It's everywhere.
Aj Gartner Johnson shooting hopes in a team meeting.
This was a Seattle thing. He must have won an hour a curfew or something like that.
I don't know if I thought I was gonna do this segment, I certainly would have gotten the context for what is happening there, other than cj uh just dropping it from downtown like that.
Where are we going next? We're going back to Tom. Can you save this? Tom didn't. Oh, now he's here in my ear? Tom is here. Well, he's here now, but he wasn't here when he was supposed to be.
What are you doing the dial tone of death in my ear? What am I supposed to do?
I jumped out, You got on your over Suck it up. You've barely been in the show. I've been holding down the whole thing from here.
I wasn't ready, Mike, I know, filing my nails, literally filing my nails.
Show Ian, let's rip on Ian. Please you want to take it?
Tom?
Yeah, all right, so let me You probably can't read this.
I can't read that.
He got that text from his airline. That's a take a deep breath. We're holding your next flight for a few extra minutes. But I love this part.
We and your fellow travelers would appreciate if you could make your way directly to gate B six.
He was trying to make a connection here. And then I said they held the flight for you. Did you say thank you? Did you apologize over the P eighth for the rest of the plane. No, but I made sure to look real tired I'm sure it wasn't very hard. He had to run so far from like F thirteen to B eight right there. Oh, poor poor Ian Rappaport. Don't miss a show, don't miss a segment. That's what happened. You get ragged on.
You know, another plan for Ian would have been Judy to show up for any of these insider shows. Were doing an inside training cam instead of cops and me down planes to night.
Just a thought, just an idea.
He's headed, he's headed to Washington, where I will be greeting him. I have to now jump in the car and drive four hours now into the wee hours of the morning, because you know I was here to do the show, right.
Judy, Leave me out of this, Leave me out of it.
Come on, Judy, we need you, We need to deliver some dagg You're all right later
