The Herd with Colin CowherdMore on the shocking news of the Nuggets firing their head coach Mike Malone and what this most likely means
Guests: John Fanta, Aaron Jones
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Here we go our number three here on the Herd, and we got Grace put some breaking news.
In the NBA.
Holy cow, the head exploding emoji is everywhere. Michael Malone fired as ten for Nuggets head coach a week before the season. That's crazy. Obviously, we'll do plenty of reaction there. We have John Fanta coming up Fox Sports College Basketball Guy to talk about Houston's devastating loss to Florida and the Nattie let Aaron Jones, NFL running back.
He's coming up.
It's me Jason McIntyre, joined by Alex Curry. Alex and I were trying to struggle during the commercial break to wrap our heads around.
It just doesn't make sense like this close to the playoffs, when you're in a playoff position and you've been with the team for ten years, you want a championship a couple of years ago, twenty twenty three.
There's something else we.
Don't know to this story, and that's what we need to figure out.
So trying to get to the bottom of that's just gonna be tough. But people are starting to piece stuff together. Big picture in the NBA, everybody wants a dynasty. You want to build something and then keep it going and win multiple titles.
Nobody just wants a one off championship. So someone said, Frank Vogel won the.
CHIP with the Lakers in twenty twenty, remember the Bubble Championship.
He was fired two years later.
Right, you win the title should buy you some time, right, some graphitas with your organization.
No, Vogel was fired two years later.
So Mike Budenholzer won the title with the Bucks in twenty twenty one. Remember they beat the Sons and Booker and Chris Paul. He was fired two years later in twenty twenty three. Michael Malone won the title in twenty twenty three, two years later, Sayonara goodbye. It's tough to keep these things together, whether the coaches tuning out, getting tuned out by the players and people to just say hey, we had a good run, it's over. We got to start at a new or coaches losing faith in their gms, or coaches just pushing the right wrong buttons after everything working so well, I thought Vogel had got a raw deal with the Lakers. I thought Budenholzer did too, Like was it his fault the things fell apart in Milwaukee after they won the title with Yannis. No is it Michael Malone's fault? A their slip sliding here? Now they are struggling. That's undeniable. But as Alex alluded to, there's there's got to be something happening in the locker room, players tuning him out. We had Rick Buker on the show yesterday. We just so happened to talk about the Nuggets and their resin struggles.
The reality is, with the Denver Nuggets, you would think that when Jamal Murray is out that Russell Westbrook is your point guard, He's your ball handler. They do not have anyone that I can completely trust with the ball other than Nikola Jokic. When Jamal Murray is out, and that is the great Achilles heel of the Denver Nuggets, Nikola Jokich is playing the best basketball of his life, without a question, the best player in the league right now, right and you see where the Denver Nuggets are because the rest of that team has either flat lined or they're playing below what we've seen them play before.
Yeah, no, that's a great point.
They are not delivering right now the Nuggets like they like we expect them to do, especially with Yokis putting up a sixty point triple double.
It sounds like he's doing at triple double every night.
He's gonna finish top two in MVP voting for the fifth straight season. So why the hell aren't they better? And it's weird Like an hour ago, remember we did at the top of the second hour, we did top five teams that are title contenders in the NBA, and I didn't have the.
Nuggets in there.
And I'm pretty sure I said the Nuggets have some issues. I don't trust them Jamal Murray. An hour later, the coach gets fired. I did not see that one coming. We do now have sound of Michael Malone on I think it was Sunday night. They lost to the Pacers, a brutal defeat, and here he is talking about their recent struggles.
I'll start with me.
You know, we've lost four games in a row, and I'm never going to this guy that guy. How about me as a head coach? You know, not doing my job to the best of my ability. And that's that's why I challenge over our guys. You know, we haven't lost for it in a row in a long time. And it's really easy, you know, to be together and say family when you win, But when you're losing games? Can you stay together? And do you have the balls? Do you have the courage? You go home and look in the mirror and say what can I be doing better to help this team.
He holds his players annibal, which I can totally respect.
Sometimes the manner which he delivers that is maybe not what the organization would want. But this interesting divide between him and the GM. The GM has not pushed all the right buttons in recent years. He's just handing out contracts like there, Candy, let's be real, Michael Porter Junior. That contract is going to hamstring the organization. He can't defend anybody. He's a good shooter, but he's limited otherwise. It's tough to waste Jokic's prime years. But man, the NBA always delivers, never a dull moment, Folks, Luka Doncic was traded two months ago.
Now Michael Malone, who won the title in twenty.
Twenty three out in Denver, just absolutely wild stuff. All right, let's get to our guest college basketball reporter analyst John Fantom joining the show.
John, how are you.
We're a little shell shocked here from the Michael Malone news. You're a hoops guy. This had to surprise you when you heard about it.
Huh, this is as ridiculous of a move as I have seen in a long long time. You mean to tell me that with three games left, that today's the day that your gut reaction is let's clean house with our leadership. Let's fire our head coach and our general manager. You just said it, Jmac. Michael Malone is one of the best coaches in the NBA. I understand that the Nuggets have had struggles. They're a game and a half out of the three seed in the Western Conference. What are we doing here? At least give them the chance to play out the string finish things off this season? So what so the thunder and Rockets are at the top, and yeah, the Lakers, we know that the Warriors can make a run at this thing. I know there's some realities, but for a guy who won you a championship, a guy who won you a championship to now do this today and say goodbye, this laid into a season, they owed it to him, in my humble opinion, to finish it out. I disagree with this. I'm shell shocked by it. Yes, the NBA always delivers, but Michael Malone will be somebody else's gain because this from the Nuggets today is ludicrous.
Yeah, this would be like what a college basketball program firing their coach a week before championship week or something crazy just because they are struggling with a few losses.
Right, jim Ack, imagine the three seed or four seed in the AFC or NFC firing their coach.
With two games to be That would never happen. Yet it would never happen.
It would never happen.
I just what is going to.
Change that severely by making this move, He's holding them back that much. I know that my Michael, like Michael is beloved by a lot of people, and a lot of the people that I talked to in the NBA like they really do like Michael, and he is a different cat. Like we've seen him get a little bit sharp at times with the media, and he can he could certainly show a different angle to him where he can be a little bit you know, prickly and and going at people sometimes. But like he's still a really, really good coach. And this move today, this is nothing short to me of an ownership group who wakes up, gets a phone caller too, and has a knee jerk reaction ahead of the postseason. I just don't like it. The NBA always has drama, and there's nothing wrong with that, and that's why you and I love a Jmax. But this, to me was wrong.
It's just it.
What message does this send to the next guy you hire?
Nothing good, that's for sure.
All right, Let's get to the college basketball game last night an absolute thriller. I didn't like what the refs early in the second half, but we got lucky and we got a phenomenal finish. John, I just know Saturday night, I was devastated when Duke fell apart late up by what six with forty seconds left or something, And now to watch Houston like the shoe was on the other foot. I mean just a total meltdown, three turnovers in the final minute.
What happened to Kelvin Sampson's.
Seed, Well, what happened was Florida's defense really came alive the way that they did against Auburn in the second half, and Florida took away the interior from Houston. So then you're stuck out on the perimeter and Florida's got the length. Defensively, that being said, you have Emmanuel Sharp, LJ. Cryer, Milo shoes In u Zam was not particularly good at all in San Antonio. He had two rough games. But for Florida to force four straight turnovers, yeah, it's resilience. Defensively, it is, But if you are Houston Jmack, this is one that will absolutely sting for when you consider how close you are to a title and you outplayed Florida for eighty percent of this game, if not more. Florida's last lead before they took the lead in the final moments was eight to six. So for Houston, I respect the heck out of Florida. It's a terrific comeback win. Their third consecutive come back. You come back from ten down against Texas Tech and then you come back from nine down against Auburn. They truly showed resilience in these games. But Houston was thirty three and oh when they allowed less than seventy points. Now they're thirty three and one, and that was just so unlike who they've been all season.
I know the media loves Kelvin Samson and by all accounts a great guy. So close to the title, Houston had not won a title ever. I mean, this has to be just I don't know how you bounce back from this kind of thing.
No, because you're sixty nine and I do think you're a top ten coach in the sport, But are you ever going to get this close again? Let's be real here. Probably not. And this was the lineup for them both, not just who they are defensively, they're always tough.
On d Jason.
This was his best shot making team. So what you could say about them was they flourished in crunch time. This was the antithesis of that. They unraveled at the worst possible time. How do you not get a shot off in your last four possessions? How do you not get a shot off? It's a stinger. I think Kelvin's had a great career. Think about this to Jason, how much of a storybook this would have been. He's hanging at seven hundred and ninety nine wins. Oh, that would have been eight hundred Instead, Todd Golden takes it from him and Todd Golden at thirty nine years of age, a guy who was at San Francisco three years ago goes across the country. People are like, is this guy gonna win at Florida? He didn't have a tournament win through his first two years. It's pretty remarkable.
I am curious. Walter Clayton came in on a heater. He had been playing as well as anybody.
I think we referenced Kemba Walker.
Shabaz Napier did not score a basket in the first thirty two minutes of the game. John the kid is clutch. We know that, and I know you can't quantify.
Oh, he just delivers all the time. It sounds so cheesy, but that's what he does.
No to what he did, he played his way into the first round of the draft. Yeah, I agree, he's gonna get drafted in the first round. In the first round of the draft, you could find gems in the twenties and I think he'll be one of them that'll hover right around there, you know, twenty one to twenty five. I think he's made his way there. Look is a size something to monitor, sure, but this guy, he stepped up with the stop of the game. Jason, how many guys and you talk with coaches all the time. I can't tell you how many coaches have told me over the last two years that there have never been more players. When they miss their first shot or two of the game, they then allow that to define how they play the game. Clayton could have checked out, could have removed himself from making an impact, could have gotten in his own head. And look, he didn't shoot the ball on I mean, the fact that Houston held him and Elijah Martin to five of twenty from the floor and they lost this game is mind boggling. But when Houston got in fouled trouble, Walter Clayton said, now it's my time to drive the lane. He had a couple of big time finishes, the huge three that was just so critical to them winning this game. But I love a player who clinches the game in a way that people didn't see beforehand. He played his way in the first round of the draft with a play like he made to close out the championship game, to close out on Emmanual Sharp. A lot of people thought this kid cannot defend.
Well.
He showed us that he could come up big a crunch time with that close out of Sharp, because that's a championship play. He made winning plays. He recognized this role. And Jason, he had seven assists slots. Now, yeah, if they took they made him a passer and he stepped up.
I think he could be a Peyton Pritchard type player, six man in the NBA, something like that. All right, John Fanta, Fox Sports College Basketball.
Great season.
Obviously you're gonna enjoy the transfer portal and all that comes with that, and in the summer circuit, John, I'll talk to you soon, buddy. J Mac.
You know I'm a Clevelander.
Find me my quarterback, Find me my quarterback.
Sad Sanders faux show.
All right, buddy, have a good John Fanta, all right, more coming up next on the breaking news out of Denver. Michael Malone fired fired by the Denver Nuggets on the eve of the playoffs. Just absolutely bonkers.
We'll do that next.
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays and Noone Easter not a em Pacific on Fox Sports Radio FS one and the iHeartRadio app Back.
Here on the Herd.
My goodness, what a crazy hour there. Michael Malone fired as head coach of the Denver nugget All.
Right, let's go to Alex Curry with the news.
Turn on the news. This is the Herd Line News.
Yeah, j Mac, We're gonna We're gonna keep rolling with that, because breaking news right now. The Denver Nuggerts fired head coach Michael Malone after ten seasons with the team. I'm Malone is the winningest coach in Nuggets history and led Denver to a title in twenty twenty three. They're currently fourth in the West in a playoff spot a week before the playoffs start. I mean, this is it's just as you said before. This feels like the head exploding emoji, and I don't feels like they're throwing in the towel. You're not gonna get someone better this last stretch of the regular season, right before the postseason starts.
There's just something more that we don't know that went down, and that that that has to be in there's there's more to the story that.
We don't know yet. So GM, the GM's been there.
He was the assistant GM since twenty seventeen, so him and Malone have shared that decade for a while.
Yeah, yeah, boy, this is It's always fun when this breaking news happens. Right, it's just like whoa.
But that's why there has to be something more, right because three games left in the regular season.
Puff it out.
Yeah, you tough it out.
You're still in a play you're still in a playoff position, you're in fourth in the West. It makes no sense, absolutely no sense.
I mean, we've been talking about it now for about an hour, but it's it's literally scratch your head, like what I can't I can't wait to get the like the juice as like or the tu like what's going down? We talked about yesterday, like Westbrook's body language when he had his postgame presser finally.
And he was just kind of like, I don't know what's going on.
It just it didn't feel, it didn't feel like good vibe were happening in that locker room.
Basically, Okay, let's move to the NFL.
The Raiders have a whole new look this offseason with new ownership, new head coach at Pete Carroll, and.
New quarterback Gino Smith.
Now Geno and Pete obviously have history from their time in Seattle, and that history was a big part of why the two got back together.
Take a listen, there is unfinished business.
And I think, you know, when when people think about my story, you know, Coach Carroll was a big part of that. You know, he gave me an opportunity when not many people would have and he saw, you know, the hard work that I was putting in. He saw the things behind the scenes that I that I do that allowed me to get this opportunity. But to be able to play for him and again to be a part of this organization, it means everything to myself and my family. Uh yeah, I was just telling him, man, I'll run through a wall for and he knows that.
You can definitely feel the support and the love and the belief in each other from both sides. Because Pete Carroll had a chance to go out and also get his Super Bowl winning quarterback this offseason and Russell and he chose Geno Smith over us, So I think that says a lot right there.
Also, what has this Raiders team been the last decade.
They haven't had a winning culture, they haven't had a lot of success. And now you have two guys who have history together. You have like a whole new setup with your core guys. Obviously you got work to do, but it feels like there's hope when you listen to both of them.
Yeah, I mean, I don't know, we'll see.
I'm not as bullish on the Raiders as Hrcinia Smith.
No, I don't six seven wins maybe.
I mean, there's still.
There's still the worst team.
In the division.
They're the worst team.
Yeah, they're definitely still the worst team in the division. I just but also helps, like you got Brady on the ownership side now, so.
It's like there's got to be some positives here, right you hope.
So, no, I gotta be careful what I say next. Crosby coming after me for some comments I made. So I gotta hill with the Raiders.
Negativity, Okay.
I was like, why are you holding back?
You never hold back sometimes strategic Okay.
Okay, Okay.
Well, Milk Kuiper has released his most recent mock draft, and Kuiper has cam word going first to the Titans Travis Hunter to Cleveland at two, and Edge Rusher Abdul Carter third to the Giant. Interesting though, that Kuiper has Shadoor going ninth to the Saints, which we kind of mentioned earlier in the show. You said, I think was it this mock draft that you were referring to?
But I think what's going to happen with.
Shadora's completely dependent on what the Browns do.
If the Browns take them at two, then.
He's obviously a top I think he's going to be a top ten draft.
Pick, but if not, he could fall down. I could tumble out of the top ten.
Yeah, I mean, Saints do need a quarterback with the car situation.
Not a great, not a great. I don't want to make it about the jump into.
But also it's not a bad thing to fall because it means you're gonna go to a better team.
So you got to find the silver lining in these situations.
Yeah, every guy wants to say they were a top a top ten draft pick. You get more money obviously when you're a top ten, but if you drop, your most likely going to a better franchise, a better team, and a better chance of winning.
Yeah, I mean listen.
Those teams that are drafting, like the Giants stink. You know, you go there, it's like there's a coaching staff going to be there in a year. You know, you got their coach go to the Laders, they got they got.
Work to do.
As you said, Yeah, the Browns obviously have a really good coach, Coach of the year. They I think the Browns are probably a good spot for Chador. I don't know that I could see him falling to the Saints, but uh yeah. A quick word on this mock draft, okay, because they have my Jets taking the kid from Missouri on the offensive line. I'm like, bro, all season in the SEC, this guy did not like pop as a stud.
He goes and gets measured and then runs a couple of awesome drills. Oh he's the top ten guy. I'm leary of those workout wonders. What are they called the.
Underwear Olympics memboo from Missouri? Please don't pass on on Jalen Walker or Tyler Warren for an offensive lineman who didn't flash during the season, but measurables are off the charts.
That's just my take on that, Okay, is that the only thing that jumps out to you on this last.
You know, sadly, I'm a Jets fan.
Yeah, we know, I'm sorry, sorry for your loss.
Alex Curry with the news.
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by The Herd Line News.
All right, Uh coming up next? How about this, We are going to go to commercial break, and then when we come back, we will have NFL running back Aaron Jones joining us in the studio.
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Jay?
All right, we got a special guest in studio. I'm sure you guys recognize him. Legendary NFL running back. He's carried me to a fantasy championship. Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings, played for the Packers.
How you doing, man, I'm doing great.
You Yeah, I'm happier now that you're here. We had a great combo during the commercial break. My favorite stuff is just asking him random questions. But first, you recently participated in the nfl USO tour visiting US service members it military bases in Kuwait.
I've never been to that part of the world. What's that like?
It was amazing. I grew up a military child. My dad served twenty nine years retired as a command sorry major, and my mom served twenty seven and retired as a start major. So for me, it was a big part of giving back going over there. It was a full circle moment. One of the bases that we stopped at, Air of John thinkawait. My mom was deployed there in two thousand and three, so completely full circle moment. And then just getting to go over there talk to soldiers, lift them up, you know, give them that little bit of joy. I know what it's like having parents deployed, and when one person serves, the whole family serves, you feel those hardships. Also got to see high school, high school basketball teammates or kids who went to other schools, guys from Al Paso, or people were stationed at Fort Bliss, So that was surreal. Got my haircut by one of my high school basketball teammates who was a barber. Now I was sitting in the barracks with the guys, just hanging out midnight, child eating the fact, eating lunch with them, doing everything they they did, but just also being there meeting with them, talking to them and trying to lift them up.
Dude, that sounds awesome.
Man.
I did hear you say high school basketball?
So you were football and basketball in high school, just dominating both or no.
Track as well? Football basketball track? Yes, sir?
So wow do you want would you rather start with the Packers or the Vikings, because I shocker, I've got some Aaron Rodgers questions for you.
Wherever you want to start here, Let's start.
With the Packers.
So you're you're drafted by Green Bay. But there's a log gym at running back and as you were telling us during the break, it's like you had a big champion in the organization.
Tell us how you first got on the field.
Uh, really it was a rod Uh he went over to the salines like I want thirty three in the game. Uh, signaling from the field. But they went over there and was like I want thirty three in the game, and I'm looking down. I'm like, hey, that's me, let's go. Uh. So, like I always tell people, I think people have the wrong perspective of them or whatever. If you're a player, you've been around him, you and you're you'd be thankful for your time around him and what he's done for you in your career. So, uh, he really helped jump start my career, gave me that confidence and continue to give me that confidence.
So why do you think he gets a bum rap in the media if he's so loved by so many teammates.
Uh, Because the media can sway sway whatever you say, whichever way they want to, whether you minted in a certain type of way or whether you didn't. So I feel like it's part of that.
Yeah.
Now, your time with the Packers, A lot was written about McCarthy versus Rogers. At the end, there was some kind of cold war. They didn't talk whatever. I don't know what. What did you see in Green Bay near the end, Because you guys had a great, great run.
Uh, you know, I was a fifth round guy, so my head was just down trying to stay out the way but uh, it was it was we We We were like a middle of the pack team. We win lose, win, losing a lot of it depending on if a rat was healthy and out there able to play. We went as he went, and so he once he got back healthy, we were great. So I feel like he was a big part of a big part of us. You know, when he was out there, we were doing great.
Yeah, I guess playing in Green Bay is like a running back. At the time, you know, the running back position was still highly thought of, but in the last few years it kind of dipped down.
Did you notice it as one of the top.
Running backs in the league that hey, man, we're not getting paid, we're not getting respected.
What was that like one hundred percent? You know, as you're as you're going through contract negotiations or you're seeing what other guys are getting across the other positions, and you can kind of see what's going on, and you start talking all the backs as a whole, not just the running backs on your team, but across the league. You guys start talking and everybody's kind of feeling and consistence of that way of hey, they're trying to devalue us, devalue our position, but we bring so much value to the to the game, you know. But luckily guys bought out this year. Tae Kwon did what he did and was able really able to help the running back market kind of get back a little bit to where's supposed to be. I still think it should be a little bit better. But the reason I said that because you have a think about how many times a running back is touching the ball a game versus a receiver number three. Yeah, you know we're picking up blocks as well, or we're lining up out why running routes. So I feel but hey, I'm not gonna play it. I'm happy that that it's gotten bumped up, but I'm advocating for the backs, not complaining and advocating.
So you're in Green Bay. I had to look this up.
So you guys are doing well and then they draft AJ Dillon and at that point, you know you're one of the top backs in the league. But are you, like, guys, what are we doing I'm the guy or is that just part of the job, Like you always got to be looking over your.
Shoulder as you learn your time in the league. That's just part of the business. They're always trying to either bring somebody in to replace you, and if they can replace you, there there there, or if maybe not to replace you, they're there to team them up with you and you guys go to work together. But that's part of your job to know that, Hey, they're bringing some they're trying to replace me every year. They're trying to bring somebody in every year, and it's your It's your job to stay on top of everything and put in that work. So so when it when that those challenges do present itself, you're you're still on top.
Would you see like, oh damn, this is probably ending soon for me in Green Bay? I need another landing spot because very rarely do people stay in the division.
Uh definitely did not see it coming to an end. Uh I finished the the year off strong. I got hurt earlier in the year, scoring a touchdown against Chicago, battled the hamstring for a little bit. Then once I was back out there, I feel like uh I helped lead us to UH to the playoffs and it was essentially a first round win. Uh So I was everything I was being told from the organizations. Hey, you're the heart and soul of this team. You'll be back here. So, uh, didn't turn in my iPad and't do it anything because I'm under I'm I'm thinking I'm coming back and yeah, and uh so what happened? Uh, that didn't happen. They wanted me to take a pay cut, and sometimes you know, you got a bet on yourself, and yeah, that's what I did. I love the organization, love the connections that I've made there, But at the same time, I have a family to feed, and I I felt like I knew my worth and my worth was more than what they wanted to give me.
So was Roger still there?
No, he wasn't. This was Jordan. This was Jordan Love.
He was your advocate and Jordan Love. You probably didn't know him as.
Well, right, Oh, No, I knew Jordan very well. Uh. That's that's the thing. I I I get all the I got all the receivers, Jordan his quarterback, coaches like my uncle, like my uncle Steve Calhoun. Uh, we got all. I got all of them. Hey, we're going out here this offseason work with Jordan. He's gonna be first time starting. So I was a catalyst and a lot of that getting us, getting us together, And I think that's some of the stuff they started to see from behind the scenes. But uh, you know, I have a lot of love for those guys as as well, my young receivers, my young my quarterback.
You know, I wonder if the audience picked that up. You got to listen closely to what he says.
Anyways, so you're, you know, you're igniting all that stuff, and all of a sudden they come to you with a low ball.
That was kind of when the running backs nobody wanted to pay them, right.
Yes, sir, but got got worried that they were going to bring in another back, didn't know who, but they were going to give essentially make me take a pay cut, asked me to take a pay cut, but give another back extension or a big deal out.
Sorry, And you.
Know you've kind of the writing's kind of on the wall. Then do I want to be be a two or do I do? I feel like I can go somewhere and prove myself, continue to prove myself and show them, hey, I still can play. I got a lot of value left in So that's that's what I essentially did.
So naturally, you go to Minnesota and then you dominate and you can flash the middle finger to them. They talk about the transition to Minnesota in the Division A Tea a franchising team. You know, well, but you got to move your family and everything. Was your family behind the.
Move and everything. My family was definitely behind the move. They were all for it and everything. I don't know, if you guys see those report cars that are giving out on every NFL team, Yeah, yeah, yeah, so that was very true when we got there. The treatment of the family, everything. It's a world class organization and I'm blessed to be there. You know, there was a lot of guys who're like, oh, don't leave Green Bay. Don't leave Green Bay, like a lot of vets where they were leave. They're like, oh, they really take care of you. The grasses and greener and all the things that they would tell you. And you know, so I was kind of like nervous making that move, but God doesn't make mistakes and I ended up there for a reason, and it's been a blessing for me and my family. They really take care of you. Like A said, it's a world class organization, and I was able to stay healthy all year. Yeah, it's just a it's a great place to be and I think you'll really continue to see see the Minnesota do do great nuts because it starts.
So now I gotta be careful with the questions because you're in Minnesota, you know, and you got to see these guys all the time.
But you know, you get to Minnesota and they got Sam Darnold.
But then they draft McCarthy and you were there for the quarterback battle and the office did you because you're a new guy, were you able to like, hey, guys, let's get together and let's go offense, let's go do stuff the way you did in Green Bay?
Kind of just trying to get moved in, get settled there. Everything found my foot in, But it was we were still close, you know that, And I think that's what made us really good this year. We had a bunch of guys on there on one year's but veterans, and we knew we had to come together. And I think that's that's what made us special. And it didn't matter who was like in the preseason with JJ was out there, it didn't matter who was out there slinking and we were we were pumping pumping that quarterback up. Whoever was out there taking the rep, we were pumping them up, lift them up, and you couldn't You can't tell who was who really, Like from that close, I went, I don't know how close it was. Uh both of them were balling the preseason though, but I'm saying you couldn't, like in terms of all we're cheering for this conminentire, like the way that they built it up there, like each guy was getting loved on.
So I'm just curious how this works. Like you go to a new team, new franchise, you've got it. Everybody knows who everon Jones is right, but you got to meet like make all these new relationships. How is that like in the locker room because obviously they had other running backs.
You're coming for their job. You're gonna be the guy.
They got a new quarterback, they got something of a quarterback controversy, they got a young coach.
Just what was that like.
It's a lot of fun. It's honestly, it's a lot of fun. And I feel like that's part of the military help help me just being able to adapt to change quickly. Up. Military was moving every two three years, so as a child, having to re establish myself in sports. So it was fun just going and making new relationships, meeting new people, learning about them. Uh, and these are relationships that will last forever, not just this this couple of months. These are ever laughing, everlasting relationships. Uh. They're getting to know about you, you're getting to know about them, and then you're finding out, hey we're a lot, we're a lot alike, or we come from the same kind of the same background or same makeup, or you know, just being there as a resource as well. Like you said, I'm I'm a veteran coming in and we had Todd Chandler, Pam Akers. Uh, there're still young guys on their on their third fourth year. So I can just come in and give those guys everything their need. And then I think as an athlete, you know, like hey, if this guys better than me, then he's better than me and I can learn from him and I can improve or But there's also bits and pieces you can take from everybody's game. So I'm taking something from Camp Camp Makers game, I'm taking something from Todd Chandler's game. I'm learning from those guys just as much as they're learning from me. So I think is just great.
So now you're out here doing media and I have to ask as a high profile player on a team that I don't think anybody had the Vikings peg to do what you guys did this past season.
Are you reading the stuff in the preseason.
Where people are like, oh, well, I don't know if Vikings maybe five hundred, you know, they got Aaron Jones and.
Justin Jefferson like, are you reading that stuff?
Because the media I don't think love the Vikings coming into the season.
Uh. You know, you see those first couple headlines come out and you just like whatever, and then after that we kind of didn't pay paid any attention. You know, We're like, Okay, we're gonna make We're gonna make them respect. They're not talking now, but when it's when it comes down to what they will be and you know, what's done in the darker well was coming to light, and we put our heads down and we worked even though the light wasn't shining on us, and eventually everybody started talking about us and seeing what we were doing over there.
It felt like the injury to the left tackle was kind of one of the big infection points during the season, and I don't want to say it went south, but it just what the offensive line wasn't clicking the way it was with Derisa, and there is that a fair assessment.
Definitely, Cam Cam Tom Cam, Cam Robinson came over and did a great job. Though. Came in I want to say, two days and started really one day of practice. He did a great job. I think it's just CD was like the leader of the A line group kind of you know maybe and getting them going. So he's all pro, you know, all pro guy. So when you lose one of one of those guys up front, and he's given a lot of those guys across the board confidence as well, Uh, get a little tough. But like I said, Cam did a great job of stepping in, Uh, and I'm proud of him and he gotta he gotta paid off of that as well. So, uh, congratulations to my left tackle. Cam.
Yeah, he's pretty damn good.
And the other guy with Cam was our first round picking his own right right with the Jax Coms. All right, So tough question, got to ask it. Play with DeVante Adams, play with Justin Jefferson. We better, I got I have to put you on the spot. These are two of the best. I mean, these are true Hall of famers.
Obviously, I would say, two different receivers.
Of course, he's ready for the media.
You know, there are two different receivers. There are two different sivers, both very special. That's a tough question. Honestly, I've seen both of them go to work every day and consistently to it every day. I'm gonna say the only difference that I've seen is I wasn't there, uh when DeVante was younger, when he was it's fair in his first three years, first four years, first five years. All right, I got there, Well he was. He's still young, but Justin's like, you're four year five, so I get to You got to see that a little bit. But I would say, that's that's you flip a coin.
Get used to being in the media.
You flip a coin. You flip a coin. Right there, I go with either of one.
If we gave you truth serum.
And the question was when Aaron Rodgers and the Vikings were doing whatever dance they were doing last month, were you privy to what was going on? Did Rogers call you to check in, Hey, what's the vibe like there? Did you talk to Rogers when he was allegedly talking to Vikings?
We really didn't talk. You know, but I would love for him to would have loved for him to come over there. He can do a lot for the young players, not just see that's that's that's the that's the that's the media, that's the media side. You guys got rid of Robert Salad through five games in you guys got rid of Robert Salad games.
I like him?
What you guys two and three? What was the record? It was?
It was not good and three?
Yeah, okay. My last year in Green Bay we were like four and seven and made the playoffs.
Yeah.
So so you guys, you guys are giving up on the owner. You guys are it's the I don't even want to say it's the fans. You guys are so quick to just give up on each other though, Like, no, that's.
Fair, not not necessarily me. I like Sala.
He didn't do a lot of winning, but appairently he had a rift with Rogers. You know, they didn't remember, uh Sala was all excited and he came over Rogers like bro Chill.
Come on, man, that's a head coach. I know that's your guy.
I don't, I don't. I went in the locker room. I don't know. The dynamic. But but I mean, you guys are two and three and you go and fire him like, I don't know.
It's been a spunk tittle mess for a while.
So it's so you can try to throw it all on a Rod or Salah, it's more to it. You know, it's fair. And they were trying to get the pieces over there. They were trying to get the pieces over there. But you also got to be able to protect the quarterback as well.
I'll do that.
Ye also got to be able to protect them. But you know, no, he I feel like he does get a bad spin on the media. But the thing, like I spoke on it a little bit, and I'm sure there's so many more athletes out here that can speak positively about a Rod. I haven't had a negative interaction with with him ever.
I had what was the Deshaun Jackson came on the last year. He's very good. I like to talk to him about it. All right, So we got.
One minute left, Vikings is Super Bowl reasonable expectation this year?
I truly think. So. We have all our skill positions back. JJ is ready. We're ready to surround him.
Have you seen JJ lately? Is good coming to healthy.
Jay's good. JJ is ready and he's different. He's gonna he's gonna show you.
Vikes are my sleeper to win the division.
Up there. We're about showing it instead of talking about it. So we're gonna show to show you, guys.
What's the best thing about McCarthy. Is he a leader in the already or too young?
No, he's a leader already already. He's a winner like he's he's a winner. He's a We believe in him and he's going to get it done for us. I mean where we're all behind him. Man. He comes in with that confidence as well and excited to have them all right.
Aaron Jones the great running back a lot of time with the Packers, now dominating with the Vikings.
Vikings are my pick to win the division. I think the Lions fall back a little.
To you. I think we have the best division in football. I don't know if I don't know if they necessarily fall back, but I think it is definitely gonna be competitive. Chicago also got better in free agency, so
Thanks good stuff, man, It's gonna be great.
