Drive Time: Bradley Chubb and NFC West Preview

paternity leave. If it sounds different, I am recording from my home studio, so no more from the Baptist Health Studios on the podcast, but I'm gonna say it anyways, just to give you guys a heads up, we have Bradley Chubb on the podcast today, probably the best interview I had of the sixteen you're gonna hear over the course of the summer. Plus we're previewing more NFL divisions today. The NFC West goes under the clock under the microscope. I don't know why I said clock. From the Travis

Wingfield Studios inside the Travis Wingfield Homestead. This is the Draft Time Podcast. Let's go ahead and jumps to art this thing. Kick it off with some juice. Bradley Chubb, he is the man. He is back. He's gonna wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks this season. But first he talked to me. Joining us today on the Draft Time podcast is Dolphins outside linebacker Bradley Chubb. Be Chubb. What's up, man, It's really good to see you and talk to you.

gonna hold your hand while you do things. So going through it and making the mistakes and you know, coming back on the other side and seeing the games and all that, it's a it's a beautiful thing. And when you sit back and look at it. I'm grateful to be where I am now. I'm a really good headspace now compared to where I was when I first started. So it's a it's a beautiful journey, but I'm glad I am where I am now.

we've been you know, chasing and looking for. So it's been fun, man's and amazing just to kind of like just be around the guys go through those hard times, like those tough workouts and those hot, hot practices, because on the sideline saying oh yeah, it's hot out here, VERSU actually going through it. You know, with the guys, it's a whole other level of respect and the level of a love. So it's been great.

terms of football technique? Like what was it like to get back on the field, because obviously you're you're you're repairing like the muscle and the tendon and everything, and then you're trying to get back into football shape and it's time to actually go play football. Like how long is take to ramp up to get back to where you were from the technique and fundamental stuff.

to the ground and finishing on the quarterback. So I'm still got a little ways to go, and I'm excited to go through that journey and find out the new player I'm gonna become you know what I mean. But like you said, man, if you take a week, a year or whatever, however long off. Like another thing my college coach us to always say the skills, use them or lose them, Like you're either gonna use them every day or you're not gonna use them at all, and

you're gonna lose everything that you work for. So being down trying to stay on top of the little things. But you know, it's hard when you limit it. But this whole off season and as I've been like towards the end of the season, getting back into the groove of things, and this all seasons been been great for doing that.

and that that just sucks so bad. How do you think that kind of the way the last few years have gone for you, guys can kind of shape the group this year, if that makes sense.

can't just talk that. You got to practice it each and every day. And that's what the guys in that room do. Man. We push each other to be great, and we put each other to be better than we were yesterday, you know. And that's one thing that's specially about that room and that I love so much, is just everybody's hungry. Everybody's loving of each other and wanting to see the other one win.

And to see him during these OTAs now moving around, it's like, bro, I told him, you're gonna have a long career in this league. Gonn make a lot of money. It's gonna be a lot of good things. To continue to do what you're doing and never let up, you know what I mean. And he's been doing that and it's been great to see.

me through that? Is that like something that you like, You just kind of like you're serious about your game obviously, but you can joke in the moment as well.

this is my chance. I don't know what I'm gonna do, but I could try to get a flag or something. And so I flopped the first time in a flag, and so I rolled over and I saw like my teammates playing into us. I just kept rolling over, you know what I mean, and ended up getting a flag, which was crazy. I don't know how I got the flag, but a shame on that office of the line and for pushing me.

child's game that we get to. You can't be too serious about your life, you know what I mean, can't take stuff too serious. It's a child's game that we get to do at a high level. Yes, but it's a child's game, you know what I mean. And if you go about it with a frowny face and trying to be locked in and all this, it's I feel like it takes away from that, from the joy and stuff like that. But like I said, there's a level of here that you do have to have for sure,

to approach each and every day. And it's just finding the balance.

Nobody's front running, nobody's doing anything. Everybody's just putting their head down, getting to work, and we're sticking together early. This is the earliest I've seen a group come together, and it's been dope to see. So I have real high hopes for the team, man, and I hope that we could do what we know we.

great to have everybody here. Man. You know, guys missed a day or two, but for the most part, it's been perfect attendance. So it's been it's been amazing.

Obviously Zach and Kalay has big, big pieces inside, but to build a get JP and Beachubb back out there with Zach and now KG, I'm looking forward to it. All right, We're gonna take a break right here. Come back, and then we have As you guys know, the division previews are long, so we'll do that over the course of two segments. That's Next Draft Time podcast, brought to you by Auto Nation. I love this time of year

for multiple reasons. One, the golf swing kind of getting back on track here a little bit gonna be going away for a while. Those I'll probably lose that as I say hello to my third child. We still are undecided on the name as of today, and she is coming next week, so we will see what it comes out to be. I have my pick, wife has her pick. We have to find out who wins that power struggle.

But this time of year gives me a chance to go look at all thirty two teams, well thirty one because I look at the Dolphins pretty much every single day, and I love it because it teaches me things like this. We're gonna kick this off in the NFC West here with the San Francisco forty nine ers, and I think the Niners are going to be as we review their changes here off the top a sort of litmus test for something that has sort of slid for me as

a football analyst over the last couple of seasons. We get all excited about these potential upstart teams, and who knows that better than Dolphins fans over the last you know, twenty years. I guess the twenty and six team you thought was gonna be that team, right with Dante Colepepper.

I think twenty was it twenty fifteen after the Kenny Stills trade with Ryan Tannehill coming off a great year under Bill Laser, the kind of felt the same way the twenty seventeen team, maybe not justified in that, but coming off a playoff year with Tannehill in the first year of Adam Gase. You get these you know, contingencies

of the football cognacenti. Who pushes their chips at the center of the table on those teams, and then what happens You have an unproven head coaching quarterback combination that doesn't unseat the ones that we've seen with proof of concept. The Bears last year are a great example of that.

The Jets each of the last two years are a great example of that because who could have possibly seen Nathaniel Hackett's offense not clicking and vibing and making Aaron Rodger, who's been an MVP quarterback for as recently as three or four years ago, not play that great a football. And so where everyone fades the Niners this year, and where everyone's kind of fading the forty nine ers, your boy's gonna double down this year, if you will on

Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purty. I almost said Kyle Perty. I went to high school with Kyle Purty. That kind of threw me off there. Let's go ahead and get to the changes here for this team, though they are vast Robert sala is back. I like that fit for him a lot. I think he's one of the best moves any team made this offseason. Clay Kubiak, not Clint Kubiak, but Clay gets a promotion to the offensive cordator position, the first time Shanahan has had an OC since twenty

twenty one. Go ahead and raise your hands. Anybody out there in the class know who that was. Mike McDaniel. Kubiak was a past game specialist last after coaching the quarterbacks there in San Francisco. Now the personnel changes. Brace yourself because there are so many names in here. Gone are Traverius Ward, He's out the door. Dre Greenlaw's out the door, Javon Hargrave, Malite Collins, Isaac Yadam Rakya, Sin Talanoah Hufonga, Elijah Mitchell, Deebo Samuel Aaron Banks, Jordan Mason,

Jalen Moore, Charlie Heck. These are the guys that have all started games for the Niners. Some of those guys are star players you know about, and free agency wasn't about the brand names for them. Akin to how your Miami Dolphins approached this offseason. They did snag Richie Grant, the former Falcon safety Mac Jones to back up Brock Purty. DeMarcus Robinson's a nice little sneaky deep receiver room addition

there for them. Andre Dillard go Koog's has not worked out into the NFL career, and former Dolphins Sir Ran Neil the film for the Niners. They're calling cards. So, Travis, why are you so bullish on this football team that's lost so much star talent? Because I believe in the system and the quarterback and guess what, they still have some absolute friggin studs there. This reminds me of the

Patriots will lose talent. Well, that's a bad comparison, but the Patriots were a team that used to always lose talent every year. And you boy at like eighteen years old going on message boards saying this is the Dolphins overtake. You like I was wrong, and that's how it usually goes. But it's essentially a copy paste of the Dolphins, right. Getting Christian McCaffrey back for them, I would say, is akin to us landing Jonas savit Naya and James Daniels

in terms of the boost of the running game. And then you get the matchup coverage declaration with horizontal stress and creates windows in which Brock can play point and shoot quarterback and just keep that thing rolling. He's only going to get better as he goes along. It's how these quarterbacks that play on anticipation and processing operate. I think you'll see them back in more favorable down in

distances and get their efficiency back rolling. Sound familiar, and I know he kind of worked us, But Deebo Samuels to Samuel is not Samuels. Samuel is to me additioned by subtraction for that offense because he's gotten slow and he requires a high volume of targets to be productive. And that's just not how this offense works. Just getting Trent Williams and McCaffrey back on the field were the

biggest additions this team could possibly make. But they also hit last year on Dominic Puney, a guy that when I asked Daniel Jeremiah at his annual draft press conference, who's a good interior offensive line fit for the Dolphins, he said, Dominic Puney. The Niners snatch him up and he goes on to be a really good player for them.

I think Spencer Berferd, Jake Brendle, Colton mckivitz. It's not an eye popping offensive line, but they've gone to the Super Bowl with pretty much the same offensive line, and that's when they're healthy. There's value in that continuity there as well. Brandon Ayuk is healthy, George Kittle, if he's healthy, is George Kittle. Ricky Piersol is not going to have

to recover from a freaking gunshot wound this year. Juwan Jennings is a guy that we talked about as a possible restricted free agent addition should he shake free from San Francisco a couple of years ago. That with the addition of Robinson Russell, Gage there's some good route runners and guys that can get open and find those soft spots for pretty to point and shoot, and they're going

to score points. I think if all those guys are healthy, and then defensively, we have proof of concept here with Ta Tada, and I think the way he balanced the Shanahan as akin to how we even McDaniel co exists so well done here in em and he's so and he's still got Fred Warner. So I think their first two picks, Mikel Williams and Alfred Collins are going to be studds in that defense. To me, Mikel's a dark

horse for defensive Rookie of the Year. I just think that he's was slept on heavily in the draft process. I love the Bryce Huff trade. I was a big fan of CJ. West out of Indiana in the draft process. And now Nick Bosa's back, and I think there's some unknown in the secondary, but I trust this coaching staff on defense as well as the offense to put up twenty eight plus points per game. The question is the

secondary and is it healthy? You know? Is really it's really what comes down to this team is the entire roster healthy, and how does the secondary kind of acclimate here this season. I think they have the parts to play that Sola aggressive scheme and really ease some stress on that back end. But there would could be some deep teams that stress their matchups, like, for instance, the team that we just talked to, or we're going to

talk about here in a second, the La Rams. But really it's keeping McCaffrey, Kittle, Williams, Yuke on the field. If they have those four and their quarterback. There's not a lot of teams I would pick to beat the Niners on any given Sunday. The miscellaneous factors here this gets repetitive, but the health of the football team, right, But also Shanahan discussed the deep runs and quick turnarounds and the overall fatigue of this team, which you can say, hey,

look at the Chiefs the last eight years. They don't get fatigue. They go to the super Bowl every single year, but the Niners don't have to. You know, they were able to rest and recover all of January because they make the playoffs last year. And we've seen this movie several times. The Niners have down years solely because of injuries, and the next year, they're back to twelve plus wins.

I also think they're going to start four to zero at Seattle and then the Saints, then home for Arizona and Jacksonville before a big TNF showdown against the Rams. At worst, that's three and one going into a massive divisional game there. And they pivot this year to the NFC South, which is, you know, to me, four teams that are all gettable coming off of a schedule last year that was much tougher the trapdoor scenario this year,

now there's this pretty significant the names I just gave you. Williams, mccare, Affrey Kittle, and Ayuk Mistate combined thirty one games last year. That's the trap door. The conclusion, I mean, I feel like we kind of talked about it already, but very very bullish on the Niners on this team, privy to the pitfalls that they could face. All in all, I think the West is the most likely division to produce three playoff teams, because again we'll talk about it with

every single one of them. Just look at their schedules, and the Niners get to play the fourth place schedule, which is the Bears compared to the Lions and the Giants compared to the Eagles in the East. That alone could be a two game swing, and that helps me push them over the goal line as a potential division winner. Their biggest competition to me is the Los Angeles Rams.

Let's go ahead and review their changes from a personnel standpoint, Those two games against these teams from California are going to be pivotal this year in not just the NFC West, but the NFC playoff pecking order and who might challenge the Eagles and Commanders and the Lions this year. And that fourth versus first place schedule I mentioned applies here because the Rams are every bit as good as the Niners, but they do have to play the Eagles and the

Lions compared to the Giants and the Bears. And the Rams are also in a position I think the Niners would like to get to in a year or two with the trajectory of their team cycle. Right, They've entered this new cycle, and the Niners are sort of beginning that process of like soft reset, kind of you know, unload some big name value talent and try to go back to the draft and re establish our core with younger, foundational pieces. But the Rams are already there and they're

loading up now with guys like Davante Adams. Coaching continuity. Chris Shula was awesome last year. Mike Laflora is back for a third season after a two year stint running his system with the Jets and kind of you know, trial and erring it there before coming back to McVeigh and running it successfully here. He was also in San Francisco four years prior to that. He also worked with these guys in Atlanta and Cleveland. He's honestly kind of the same track that McDaniels on a couple of years

ago SAMs. McDaniel never got fired from a job the way Lafleur did leaving the Jets, leaving the tree right, he left the trust Tree, got out of the Trust Tree, the all of Garden, and he got fired for that. I think DeVante Adams will be one of the biggest additions anybody made this offseason, much like Salah for the forty nine ers, him and Puka Nakua with a healthy Matthew Stafford. I laugh because that and that run game. Who buddy, I like this squad a lot they've spent

I like this guy. I really like this guy. They've spent some time really fortifying the offensive line. Back to the changes. They brought back two to at well to give them three studs at wide receiver. They loved Terrence Ferguson. I wasn't as crazy on him as they were, but I trust them more than I trust me. And as I was writing this, it was reported that Alaric Jackson is dealing with blood clots once again, and I hope

he's okay, but that could be a big blow. They did, however, bring in DJ Humphries, and that's a good fallback plan. But you have to have three tackles, and if you're already down one here in June, like, at some point, you're gonna have to play like a rookie in that spot because they don't have anything else besides that for left tackle, right tackle, or for the swing tackle. I should say, honestly, there's not a ton outside of Adams

the changes. They're such a young team. They can kind of press forward with the progression of the incumbents and some rookie contract players that are absolute studs. It's what allows them to go get DeVante Adams and his big contract. They did swop out Bobby Brown, a guy that we highlight as a possible Dolphins fit for poona Ford who's even better in my opinion. They lost Michael Hoyt, who was really good for them, a guy that popped off the tape last year watching the Rams in preparation for

that Monday night football game. Same deal with Christian rose Boom. They also lost Cooper Cup, but I think that he's kind of taken a step back. Jona Jackson was available for trade. He goes to the Bears. Hunter Long is gone, and DeMarcus Robinson, as we talked about, has gone up north to sand in front of Soisco the film, you know the drill for the calling card here, horizontal stretch,

displace the passing windows and attack aggressively. However, they made a pivot a couple of years ago with more stature inside and the incorporation of more inside zone and duo with a back who excels at what at that but doesn't lose anything when they go to their bread and butter, which is outside zone. Kyron Williams is just another one of the embarrassments of riches they have with the skill

spots here and then Matthew Stafford. People sleep for some reason, and he's had some years like maybe hasn't been as consistent year to year as the Lamars and Josh's and Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrows of the world, although Burrows had some inconsistent years too, But he's still a top what seven quarterback at worst, Like I would say two was like right behind Stafford my pecking order, and I'd say Stafford's in that seven to eight range. And that's why I'm still so geeked over the tape that we

had defensively last November. We stomped out a pretty good offense that day, and a good quarterback Adams gives them just a field flipper they didn't have in the past. Though. I don't know how you contend with their power run game, their wide run game covering two guys that require double teams and Adams and the Kua with the fastest player on the field not getting any help because you're not gonna help on at Well, then you've got Tyler Higbee.

Then you've got this guy. They apparently were like, you know, they thought he was the key to unlocking the offense. Further in terres Ferguson, it's just too much. This might be my Super Bowl pick if I don't pick them to lose to the Niers in the division. I'm having a tough time with that right now. Today, I think the most impressive thing about Chris Shula is the way his scheme was able to grow and adapt with the

roster that was similar. Now they'll be able to bank on experience of last season and having those highs and lows because they had some games where it just wasn't very good, and having that further along starting point to kick things off. Like we talked about for coach Weaver here and the Dolphins defense, they'll play out of a lot of odd fronts, which inherently helps shore up inside gaps because of the presence of the nose tackle, but because of their athletic ability, they can really do more

true one gapping off a traditional two gap look. They play that three three five look with gap and a half philosophy, which has some aggression to it, but you also have to play discipline. But one of the questions will be how they replace Hoyt and rose Boom in

that second level. Jared Verse, I remember talking to toront Armstad about him after that game last year, and he was like, dude, they might have another Aaron donald Enuff said there, Braden Fisk had a great first year and Kobe Turner's probably the better of the three players since

he got in the league. They mixed their coverages pretty evenly, including a ton of hybrid coverages, which is why you've heard them attached to Ramsey again, because that's kind of what Ramsey's bread and butter in is when he's not, you know, being displeased where he is. After a year and a half, Omar Spates and Srey Troy Reider figured to step in an inside linebacker. And that's kind of a question mark there because those were rotational pieces last year.

Now they might be starting or playing more significant roles there. They stole a Kello Witherspoon from the Niners. They brought Darius Williams back, and Cameron Curls a pretty versatile, nice piece in the safe in the safety room there. The other positions are up for competition come camp, and the question here is I kind of keep spoiling them ahead of the time. But the secondary right, this is not just a Dolphins thing. Across the league man like defensive backs.

As we get this receiver boom and run. You're going to see less defensive backs because those are the same body types and archityps archetypes, and all these college players and high schoolers are going after receiver jobs and leaving corners and safeties out there that there's one enough of them. The supply and demand is not enough. How they continue their momentum though with a young defense after an impressive

showing in the first year under Chrishula. That's kind of the key here the question, right, But man, that offense, you guys know, I subscribe to the idea that a great offense that scores twenty eight points a game is going to win you at least ten games. But I think the odds are this defense will be pretty good too, And I think how good they are will tell us how far they will go. The miscellaneous factors, the continuity,

the weapons. This probably has a chance to be the best team in the NFC, even with some questions at a few spots in that defense. That schedule I think is going to help them cruise to eleven plus wins. They have a stretch beginning in week seven where it goes Jags, buy Saints, Niners, Seahawks, Bucks, Panthers, Cardinals. Only one of those teams won more than seven games a year ago. The trapdoor scenario. We saw what happened when Stafford got hurt in twenty two. McVeigh had that burnout

around that time, but has proven his reinvigoration of the game. Honestly, I think there aren't many here for them. The continuity, improved veteran talent with adaptable schemes to withstand attrition makes the Rams one of the safest bets for the playoffs in twenty twenty five. Sands the quarterback getting hurt. That's the case for every team across the league. The conclusion great coaching, great quarterback, very good roster, adaptable approach, softer

schedule than last year. Outside of Philly in the NFC, I don't think there's a more sure thing to go to the playoffs than the Rams. Saquon did run for two fifty five and two to oh five in the two games against them last year. They have to shore that up. Okay, last break, Right there, We're deep into the show already, Seahawks and Cardinals. That's next Draft Time podcast, brought to you by Auto Nation. Back to the two oh six, the four two five, the two five three.

That's the Pacific Northwest, the Seattle area for my hometown Seahawks, not anymore three oh five b B actually nine to five to four. I'm whn talking about the changes for the Seahawks here. The biggest one occurs at offensive coordinator. As they went I guess somewhat experimental last year calling up Ryan Grubb from the college game that you go Kooks, but that's not the same college. Just fyi. I get people tell me, I'm like, oh, you a Husky. It

got drafted by the team. You're excited about that. No, I'm a Washington State couper, not a University of Washington husky. Just fyi. But they've pivoted since that to Clint Kubiak, which I talked about Klay Kubiak for the Niners, and the same structure that we have here in Miami that Shanahan Tree offense, McDonald Tree defense. Right, Kubiak had all the magic working in the first two games last year

with the Saints. We have a Louisiana native in our staff who was very excited about the Saints two and oh start last year. I said, just just temper your expectations. Dimper them a little bit. But prior to the car injury, you know, they were, they were rolling offensively, and then things began to get sideways pretty quick. But that comes with a new system and plenty of personnel changes to go along with it, and not too often do we get this type of veteran movement at the position. Not

anymore anyway. I'm old enough to remember when the teams traded guys like Donald McNabb to an Indivision rival, or Jay Cutler got traded like it doesn't really happen that way anymore. But Gino Smith got traded here and Sam Darnold signed to the Seahawks, and they drafted Jalen Milroe, and the Seahawks have already communicated they have a plan to use certain packages for Jaln Milrow to get playing

time as a rookie. I don't think it's that crazy that there's a scenario where Millo starts games for them, but we'll talk about that more as we go along here. They also moved dk Metcalf to the Steelers in a trade, and they signed Cooper cup Davis High School in Yakam, Washington shout out. They add Elijah Arroyo from the three zho five in the draft to solidify their tight end position, but also the interior offensive line, which they desperately needed.

To remember that game last year, Week three, the Dolphins beat the crap out of the Seahawks offensive line. That was the case for them all year long. They go get grays Able to drink rainier beers. That's our Pacific Northwest like bush light basically. And to me, in this draft, there were two guards that were going to be Coggs from day one. They were grays Able and this one certain guy named jonas of I Naya. On defense, they add to Marcus Lawrence, They extended Ernest Jones after a

mid season trade from Tennessee. They draft Nicky man Worri, which you guys heard me talk about him as a Dolphins fit, so of course he goes there. For Mike McDonald, they brought back Jonathan Hankins, Jeron Reed, Donald, cup Lawrence. With the big additions, they also added Josh Jones. That's got to ease Seahawks fans minds a little bit. Last year after losing Charles Cross and Abe Lucas, go Koog's for big chunks of the season to have an actual

third tackle there. Remember, Josh Jones is a guy that I thought was a fit for us, so that makes a lot of sense that he goes to a Koubiak system up there in Seattle. They lost Draymont Jones already, Burns, Pharaoh Brown, Roy Robertson, Harris and Lake, and Tomlinson addition to Gino and DK, so not crazy losses on the film they're calling card. I am kind of curious to

see what it looks like on the surface. You had Sam Donald last year go scorched earth on the entire league, running a similar system with Kevin O'Connell, but the end of their season and dealing with O line attrition. Actually, let's go ahead and put a pin in that until the questions portion. The strength is the way Sam played in rhythm and was able to quickly decipher and distribute the football right, and the Vikings run game inherently offers

some of those strengths. But I think he's got better personnel here in Seattle with Kenneth Walker, Zach Sharbona, Damien McIntosh and now Damien Martinez all polished outside zone runners.

And this is where Metcalf and cup the swap makes sense because Metcalf, good as he is, has a limited route tree, and I remember Dolphins fans talking about him as a fit like, No, he never was, because he doesn't run the routes we run effectively, doesn't transition out of breaks effectively, doesn't settle himself into saft spots, doesn't

releverage properly. But Cooper cup is one of the greatest route runers of all time who can do all those things, and maybe the best run blocking receiver in the game not named Hines Ward like in the history of the game, which you know how valuable that is in this offense. And then I think Jackson Smith and Jigba is poised for stardom, but they have to be better on the offensive line, like way better they played most of the year without Lucas and Cross. They'll get those guys back.

Zabel's a great start inside, but there's still some questions about the other two spots, and in fact, Anthony Bradford's in line right now as a starter, and Seahawks fans are not going to want to hear that. Defensively, I think this could be sneaky one of the best defenses in football. Their corner play with Devon Witherspoon, Reek Wollen and Kobe Bryant is really good. You drop e Man worry in.

There is a scheme fit that can kind of line up all over the place, and how quickly he gets acclimated could be a big part of how that defense goes this year. And you pair that with Byron Murphy, Leonard Williams, DeMarcus Lawrence Hankins, Jaron Reid up front like have Mercy. It's a multifaceted sim pressure, aggressive, physical in the secondary defense. Talking myself from the Seahawks here as well, the question I genuinely am worried about replicating success for Donold.

That's the big question for this team this year. I think that that book from those final two games and how to shift and reroute and really disrupt his site lines and lanes with pressure and well disguised zones is something teams can hone in on him. And they're in line to return two interior offensive line stars who quite frankly, just did not play well last year, and I think that has trapdoor potential there. Defensively, I would say depth

is the big question. But gosh, I love their scheme and the first eleven to thirteen players or so on that side of the football. The miscellaneous factors here, same schedule deal as the rest of the division, and I found this interesting, a tough building to play in. Right, they're getting polished veterans in just about every home game

until like December. It's pretty than the Saints. But so that doesn't count because it's probably going to be Rattler or Jake Hayner and then Baker or wait, who else did they draft sh I should probably look into that. Who do they draft? Oh, Tyler Shook? That's right, that's right, that's it's right, right, Yeah, it's a rookie, twenty five year old rookie, Baker Stroud and then Kyler. Like, it's

all going to be polish quarterbacks. I think this team could start slow and finish strong as they find their footing offensively, and with that schedule, the trap doors narrow. The offensive line has some of the same hatches as last year. If they lose a piece or two, and look, I think Sam was awesome last year, but a one year outlier, changing cities. It's a similar scheme, but no

two schemes are the same. I think you have to consider that potential for that not working, but I'd be very intrigued at the idea of mil Row makes for a fun team. The conclusion here, I do think all four teams in this division are going to be in the playoff hunt come like mid December. But I think there's a decent gap between LA and San Francisco and then Seattle and Arizona. It's a well rounded division. A year ago and I think at least three of the

teams got better. But also I think Gino was vastly underrated, and sometimes you have to wear a little egg on your face to realize what you had, not saying it will happen, but I do think we could look back and say, hey, we had a pretty good quarterback previously. Should have hung on to that guy. Let's close it up here in the desert with the Cardinals. The change

is big year for Jonathan again and that staff. Third year of the build, it looked like they were starting to turn the corner after a surprisingly good first year. They were picked to be a last team and they only won four games, but they were competitive in a lot of games down the stretch, including a game where they almost beat the Eagles. When they did beat the Eagles in twenty twenty three, I forget and that upturn start with back to back wins last year over the

Chargers and then against US with Tua coming back. Hey, Jordan Poyer, just catch the freaking pick and run it back for six. They went on to beat the Bears and Jets to get to six and three, and then proceeded to lose five of their next six and they finished eight to nine. Two losses of the Seahawks and then the Panthers at on the road. That has to haunt those fans still to this day. So Gannon, Drew Petzing,

and Nick Rayless are all back. They lost a key part to an injury this spring and Sean Murphy bunting, but the losses in a free agency weren't that many. Julian o'quara, Roy Lopez, and Chris Tonga. They brought in Josh Sweat, Mike helt Walker, Jalen Jones, Barren Browning, Dalvin Thomlinson, a Keem Davis Gathier, and Kalais Campbell. That's a lot of lot of names to add to that defense, so a lot of help in the pass rush department. They also add Jacoby Brissett to back up Kyler. Jake Briskett

back in Arizona. Their first five picks were on defense, Walter Nolan, Will Johnson, Jordan Burch, Cody Simon, and Denzel Burke. They told you what they had to get better at this year, right it was the defense. The film the calling card. Trey McBride talked about the third year in the system coming with more window dressing and the same concepts they've run in the past, just dressed up differently, and that looks like they're gonna get a lot of heavy looks to run the ball and then utilize those

players in the passing game. They had two hundred pass targets last year, go to McBride and Connor. They're tight end and running back. After Marvin's Marvin Junior's one hundred and sixteen of Michael Wilson's seventy one targets. That was pretty much it. It's a four player passing game, but they want to play the game from those twelve groupings one tight end or one running back, two tight ends and let Kyler's escapability get him on the edge and try

to find the big plays. Hunting the passing game or with his legs. That way, they don't allow a ton of sacks. As a result, They've got a nice rpo game with design quarterback runs that kind of holds that pass rush at bay, which is a good wrinkle off of what they do from their bread and butter. But yeah, it's a pretty good skill group. They brought back Kelvin Beacham for what feels like his ninety eighth season. Evan Brown's back, Jonah Williams is supposed to be healthy for

the first time in a while. Halty Froholdt is the best center you have not heard of, and I'm really curious to see what we get from Paris Johnson this season. I love that they get Josh Sweat because he was the guy that kind of helped Gannon and Realis accomplish what they did with the Eagles. Ideally, they want to play coverage. They'll incorporate some fire zones. They want to rush for and play seven and coverage with a variety

of zones. On the back end. They keep the roof on the defense and play from two deep almost all the time. And yes, they'll obviously move Buddha Baker about the formation, but they want to defend the run with their defensive line and linebackers, and I think I'm getting Raylists right. I could be pronouncing that wrong. I am aware of that. They add Kalayis Campbell, Walter Nolan, Dallan Thomason, and LJ. Collier to go along with Justin Jones, Blala

Nichols and Darius Robinson. So that tells me they want to get big and physical and have two gappers and then let a guy like Walter Nolan use his rare, rare twitch to get upfield as a one tech and a three tech on that defense. They signed Cody Simon and MIKEL. Walker, and with Baron Browning they have a nice edge group there. I love Baron Browning's game on the back end. Baker and Geleen Thompson are in elite safety combo. Go Koug's not go Huskies. The UWWSHU backfield

back there. If they can get Will Johnson up to speed, who is just a great zone corner in college but already has injuries he's dealing with again, which sounds like kind of a thing for him. With Max Melton and Garrett Williams. Probably some cornerbacks you aren't familiar with their names, but they have some pretty good game there with Jalen Jones. They can have a nice group back there. The questions here, Honestly,

I think this is a pretty good team. They need that offensive structure and that quarterback to take a big step. They have the pieces and the scheme to I think mask what would be construed as a weak spot on the offensive line, and they have the parts there too. I think you're relying on a lot of first year players to be studs on that defense, and that can work, but it could go belly up as well. The miscellaneous factors here, the de facto schedule comment. Losing Murphy Bunting

already is a killer for that defense. And man, this is six tough division games. If they were in the South, I'd call him a lock for the playoffs, but it's tough sledding out here in the West. The trapdoor scenario. Kyler has some injuries in the past, but he's also

a sort of plateaued down the stretch. They used think it was Cliff Kingsbury's FAO, but Kingsbury got over it last year in Washington, Kyler did not had the same face, so curious to see how that goes this year, they have to find a way to fight through that wall. And then the injuries on the offensive line cost some concern, and then the melding of a bunch of new parts that can be risky on defense. Maybe it's maybe it's something that Gannon if it doesn't go well this year,

doesn't get a chance to see through. When we see this team kind of explode into a new coach like that could possibly happen. It happens all the time. Right the conclusion improved good team, tough division, with an easier schedule than last year. But it's all going to come down to those six divisional games. You won't make the playoffs doing anything worse than three and three division superlatives. I have the Niners right now. That could change. Right now,

I'm going Niners as the winner. The best quarterback is Matthew Stafford. The best non quarterback is still Christian McCaffrey, even off the injury, although Pooka Nakula says, what's up a best defensive player? I'm gonna go Boodh Baker after last year over Fred Warner, but I could easily switch those two. The best coach that's to me is Shanahan, the best rookie. I'm gonna go graz Abel for the Seahawks, and the best under the radar stuff from Washington State

Jalen Thompson. I almost put fro Holt there, but yeah, close enough. We'll go with the Cardinals safety from WSU. Go Kooks. All right, there you go. Podcast done, two divisions done, a couple player interviews done. We're gonna come back next Tuesday and do the AFC South. We'll talk about the Colts, the Dolphins Week one opponent, plus we'll have some more player interviews on that podcast as well. But until then, you will please be sure to enjoy

your summer. On that Tuesday, I'm supposed to be at the hospital give welcome to my daughter to the world, So uh yeah, that's where I'll be there and bring in podcasts to you guys every Tuesday and Friday all the way up until the week of training camp. Until then, you all please be sure subscribe, rate, review the podcast, follow me on social at winked NFL, the team at

Miami Dolphins. Check out the YouTube channel for drave time content, Dolphins HQ, media availabilities, and so much more, and last but not least Miami Dolphins dot Com Until next time, Caroline Caperin Daddy, He's already home.