00:00Good morning, everybody. Yesterday, Curtis brought something up, and I think that A.J. Brown further proved his point.
00:07You brought up the fact that Mike Vrabel, anybody who was nervous about Mike Vrabel and his ability to handle
00:12this team after the scandal during the offseason, they were wrong.
00:16Well, A.J. Brown spoke to media yesterday and talked about how after the first training camp practice, Mike Vrabel
00:22chewed him out in front of the entire team.
00:24Here's what A.J. Brown had to say.
00:26I'm just knowing that it comes from a genuine place. First team meeting, he had ripped me for almost bringing
00:34in a catch, and he expected me to make that play.
00:37Early on, as a rookie, I didn't really like that too much, but now I know it comes from a
00:44great place, and he expects me to make that play, and so do I as well.
00:48Now, I'm sure everybody remembers, but A.J. Brown and Mike Vrabel have a relationship, and they didn't necessarily get
00:54along in the beginning.
00:54So that's a form of respect that I think is only going to help other guys that may not have
01:00that relationship with Mike Vrabel yet.
01:01They're going to look at A.J. Brown, look at a guy who's well-known in the league, and say,
01:05okay, he understands Mike Vrabel.
01:07He knows if he's calling me out, it's for the better of the team.
01:10It's a Bill Belichick move because Bill Belichick used to do this.
01:13He used to call out the star players in front of the team, but I don't think it would land
01:17with a Bill Belichick right now like it does a Mike Vrabel.
01:20Okay, awesome.
01:21Thank you very much, Courtney.
01:22We will also hear from A.J. Brown with more on Mike Vrabel during They Said It.
01:28And I know, Wiggy, you say you can't read much into training camp, but does it look like Kyle Williams
01:34is going to be odd man out when it comes to receivers?
01:39That's what it seemed like yesterday.
01:41See, I've seen this before, not only as a player, but we've seen this here as fans, where a guy
01:47looks amazing in the preseason and training camp.
01:51He's getting all the adulation about how great he's having a camp, and then that guy gets released.
01:58And then the other guy, you think, is going to get released, doesn't.
02:01So it's so hard to really, like, kind of put my finger on it.
02:05That's why I don't really take – what I take stock in is, like, where certain guys are, who they're
02:10in the huddle with.
02:11Are they getting reps at a specific position?
02:16Like, those are the things that I look at.
02:17But, you know, obviously, I'm not down there every day, so I just have to take bits and pieces.
02:21And you know how people are down there.
02:23Like, let Kyle Williams make one catch on the second team or the third team.
02:28They'll be talking about it for two days.
02:29What a great highlight it is.
02:31But if you're not with Drake May and you're not consistently with him in the huddle with their first group,
02:37then I look at it like, all right, there's a chance you might not make this team.
02:41Well, Greg, we heard a bit from A.J. Brown earlier, and Courtney's excellent lead to start the day.
02:46But we can hear another clip from A.J. Brown talking about how hands-on Mike Vrabel is at practice.
02:53Here was A.J. Brown.
02:54Yeah, he thinks he still can play.
02:56Yeah.
02:57He took, like – I went 30 in the workouts.
02:59But yesterday, yeah, he thinks he still can play.
03:02But it's cool.
03:03It's cool.
03:04He walks around with the animosity, and he challenges guys.
03:08And, you know, it's cool to see.
03:09It's fun.
03:10So, I am probably a homer.
03:12I like it from Mike Vrabel.
03:14I didn't like it from Pete Carroll when he used to throw the gloves on and get out there with
03:20the fellas.
03:21But maybe that's an age thing.
03:22I don't know.
03:23Yeah.
03:24Or maybe it's because Vrabel was a good player in the league, and you kind of go, oh, that guy
03:29still looks like, you know, he's got good technique, good hand placement, where Pete Carroll's just like, all right, he's
03:34just throwing some gloves on.
03:35Like, it looks like your grandfather out there playing catch.
03:37Yeah.
03:38I mean, it is a bit of a hard-o move, but I like it in my coach.
03:43I just say, be careful, bro.
03:45You ain't that young.
03:46Yeah.
03:46It takes one wrong step, and next thing you know, we see Vrabel in a boot or something like that.
03:50That doesn't affect his coaching ability, though.
03:52No, no, no, no.
03:53I'm just saying, you know, you're going against –
03:55Watch those Achilles.
03:55Yeah, you're going against these, you know, 28-year-olds in unbelievable shape.
04:00Watch that Achilles when you're trying to hold one of those pads.
04:03Right.
04:03Be like Missoula.
04:04Stick to Turpin.
04:04Don't go up against, you know, AJ Brown.
04:06Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
04:08Stick to going against Bradad and those guys.
04:12Could you imagine?
04:15Bowling at the three techniques.
04:17Yeah, yeah.
04:17Like football with Burt Brin.
04:19Yeah, stick to playing against those guys.
04:21I went to Ohio State, so I know football.
04:24Oh, I love you, Brin.
04:25Yeah.
04:27Stay away from holding the shield for Will Campbell and some of those big boys.
04:32But he does it, though, and that's the biggest thing, I think.
04:35Did Bedard apply to be a player, too, or just a GM?
04:37No, just a GM.
04:38Oh, okay.
04:38I forget who asked the question yesterday.
04:41Like, obviously, the offseason was what it was, but is that going to change him?
04:45And I think, like, that's even from AJ Brown.
04:47Like, Vrabel is going to be Vrabel, you know?
04:49And, like, especially on the field, coaching, his personality, like, that's not going to change.
04:54And I think a lot of players, at the end of the day, respect that.
04:58I mean, Curtis was down there Saturday, so you know better than me, but it seemed like
05:04he was the number one person that everybody wanted to get an autograph from down there
05:08on Saturday.
05:09Did you see any of that footage?
05:10From Vrabel?
05:11Yes.
05:11Yeah, definitely.
05:12Over there signing away like a madman.
05:14So I don't think any of that, whatever happened, I don't think it affected the way the fans look at
05:20him.
05:20What, Sean?
05:21No, nothing.
05:21You were looking up at me like, yes.
05:23I'm just prepared, you know, trying to be prepared for the next guy, you know?
05:26It was shocking.
05:27I said, we saw Stacey James when we were up there, and I just said, like, it's shocking
05:31how quiet it is.
05:33And he's like, don't jinx it, you know?
05:34But it is, the team's there.
05:36You had Kraft make those comments before the first practice.
05:39Gonzalez was on the field after.
05:41You get the signing of Mr. Jackis.
05:44And I can't pronounce it.
05:45I don't know how the hell.
05:46Akis.
05:47Akis.
05:47No J.
05:48Akis.
05:49And there's no, there's no, the J is silent.
05:51Yeah.
05:51It's like yawking.
05:52Yeah, so Gabe.
05:53But what's the point of it if it's silent, for Christ's sake?
05:56Well, I don't know.
05:56It's probably, like, Scandinavian, I would assume.
06:00Well, I don't think that's the case.
06:02That's the way they do it over there.
06:03What do you mean you don't think that's the case?
06:05Is he Scandinavian?
06:06I have no idea, Shime, how far his roots go back in his family.
06:10I'm just guessing that the silent J, I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, Shime, you tend to
06:15try to do that from time to time.
06:17I believe the silent J is a Scandinavian thing.
06:20Not all the time.
06:22Like, was it Jaime Hakez?
06:25Right?
06:25Like, that's, it's not a full-on J, but, like, there's some Southern American countries,
06:31I believe, that also kind of, not quite silent, but more of a ha sound.
06:35Well, in Spanish, it's very often silent.
06:38But I am, for whatever reason, I can't figure that out.
06:40So, Gabe Hakez.
06:41It just depends on the, I guess it depends on where you're from and the way in which you
06:47say things.
06:47Like, a lot of people around here, Shime, refer to you as a Yurk, a Yurkoff.
06:53So, they don't, they don't, they don't, they don't, they don't pronounce, they don't
06:58pronounce the J in that case.
06:59I didn't know where you were going.
07:01I saw that.
07:03Good point by Rob on a golf course.
07:04Fjord, Scandinavian.
07:06Correct.
07:07J is silent.
07:07Cracked, cracked.
07:08All right.
07:09Fjord.
07:09Maybe he does got some Scandinavian in him.
07:11We should do a road show at Ikea.
07:18Well, I, so, issues going into, issues going into camp.
07:24You've settled the Gabe Ackes one.
07:27You've, seems like they want to get a deal done with Gonzalez.
07:31Robert Kraft has now said he's, he's already made an offer to make him the highest paid
07:37player at his position.
07:38So, you know, whatever happens when it comes to when they sign that, he ought to be the
07:41highest paid.
07:42Robert Kraft is on record saying that.
07:44I guess, Will Campbell, your issue remains with the edge.
07:47Yep.
07:47Um, and then Will Campbell, what Will Campbell actually is after the pitiful performance in
07:53the Superbowl is the remaining, the main remaining question.
07:56Right.
07:57Does he ultimately bounce back, uh, you know, from what's going on upstairs now that he's
08:01healthy?
08:02Yeah.
08:02You know, as mentally as he like, all right.
08:04I mean, it's probably a good thing for him that they start on the road against the team
08:09that he played so poorly against.
08:11Like I, you, you see what he's made of, right?
08:14You get it right out the gate.
08:15You know what I mean?
08:15Get up, get, you know, throw them right back into the fire on that one.
08:18So I think that's when I look at this Patriots team, people are always like, well, what's
08:23the expectations?
08:24What's the expectations?
08:24Like, I think they've got enough talent and they're good enough to get right back to the
08:28Superbowl.
08:29You know, it's very difficult to do, but you look at Drake may in this offense again, what's
08:36the step that he is going to take the next step up that ladder.
08:40It has to be a big step though, because their schedule is nothing compared.
08:43Like it's so much more difficult than it was last year that getting back to the Superbowl.
08:47If you had the same schedule as last year.
08:49Yeah.
08:49I'd agree with you getting back to the Superbowl with the schedule they have in front of them.
08:52But here's the difference though, right?
08:53People always say the schedule, the schedule, the schedule, which I agree with you on Coco,
08:57but here's the difference.
08:59You're a much better team this year than you were last year at this point, heading into the
09:05season, far better team.
09:06Just what you look at what Drake may was able to do and all that knowledge that he has with
09:13that offense.
09:14And he's shown that he could prove it at that level.
09:16Now you add a guy like AJ Brown, same goes for a guy like Will Campbell.
09:20He understands, he knows what to expect.
09:23Now his second year into the league, he's learned a lot more.
09:27Your defense is better in the sense of Christian Gonzalez is going to be another year into the
09:33league.
09:33So he's going to continue to get better your safety position.
09:36You added Kevin Byard, who is an all pro last year.
09:40You are a much better team this year.
09:42So even though your schedule might be a little bit hotter, your team is much better.
09:46I would just also say like the first four games of the season, I know we're going to
09:50get into Francesa here, but like you have the opportunity for two pretty big swings, right?
09:56You have the Seahawks and the Steelers and the Jaguars, three teams that have elite pass rushing.
10:01Would you agree, TJ Watt with the Steelers?
10:04Yeah.
10:04TJ Watt's not the same though.
10:06Steelers pass rush is not that good.
10:07It's not as good.
10:08Yeah.
10:08And I would say with Jacksonville, what's it still?
10:11Travion Walker.
10:13Travion Walker and Josh Hines Allen.
10:15Yeah.
10:15They're, they're, they're solid.
10:16And the Seahawks, they lost one of their address.
10:18So yeah, you're getting solid pass rush.
10:20So there is the potential that Will Campbell has a bumpy start.
10:24If those teams play to their potential, if the Seahawks play, they did in the Superbowl
10:27or the Patriots go three in one by beating three out of the four of the Seahawks, the
10:33Steelers, the Jaguars, and at the bills.
10:35You have three of your four first point four, three of your first four games are on the road.
10:39Yep.
10:40If you go three in one or even two and two, it's a, it's a fine start, but you have
10:43the Raiders and the Jets consecutive.
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