BEST OF NFL NEWS PART 1: Kerby Joseph CALLS OUT Bears + Leonard Williams on Seahawks expectations

21:11Shannon Sharpe:and see different people and see different plays. Yeah, and they got one of the better offenses. The quarterback, you mentioned Joe. They got T. They got Chase, the Triple Crown winner. They're supposed to be really, really good on that side of the football. So you guys are really going to have your work cut out for you. Yeah, and I see a couple of my dogs out there, Chase Brown and PJ. Okay. Yeah, so them my dogs, I'm trying to, you know, jersey swap, see all them boys, you know what I'm saying. It's always good to see, you know what I'm saying, your teammates from way in the back and way in the past and stuff.

21:43Right.

21:44Shannon Sharpe:Well, Kirby, man, best of luck. Stay healthy. Thanks for giving us a few moments of your time tonight, man. Wishing the Lions the best of luck. and you guys win that division and get to the Super Bowl, man. Come back and join us and have a conversation with us again. For sure, man. For sure, man. Oh, go ahead. Hey. No, I'm saying my meal prep, I'm going to send you the directions on how to take the food, the amounts. You know, it's three meals a day. Three meals a day. So I'm going to send everything to you. I'm going to send it to your DM. And then I'm going to mail all the food to you starting next week.

22:17Hey, say, are he for real? Are he playing? Yeah, yeah, I got you He not for real Hey, listen, I'm I promise you, no, listen You my first client, I'm an NFL nutritionist I'm going to make sure people Stop getting hurt, not only are people going to stop getting hurt They're going to be able to Put out the best output Because of my meal plan and my meal prep So boom This is what it is, it's what I do I got like 300 jobs And meal prep ain't one of them Just add it one.

22:51Hey, come on, unk. Support black business, unk. Support black business. Look, look, when we, you know what I'm saying, when we get off the call, you know what I'm saying, just hit me, you know what I'm saying, we can do that. I got you, man. I got you, twin. I got you. But look, I do want to thank y 'all for having me out here. I want to thank God also just for giving me the opportunity to come out here every day and play football, you know what I'm saying, and just to give back.

23:13Shannon Sharpe:So appreciate y 'all for having me. Appreciate you rejoining the man. Appreciate that, man. Take care. Stay healthy, man. We'll talk to you down the road. When you're moving like I do, trips don't always come together weeks in advance. Sometimes production shoots, interviews, or something I've got to travel for on a short notice. Like the time when I had the last minute trip to Denver and everything came together fast. Once it was locked in, I had to be ready to go. That's where Amazon Prime can make a difference. When something comes together quickly, you can get what you need like grooming essentials, neck pillows, eye masks, even snacks for the flights.

23:44Shannon Sharpe:so you're ready to show up for it. With same-day delivery, all those items show up on time and still make the trip so you can show up and focus on why you're there and not everything around it. Because at that point, it's not just about getting there, it's about making the most of the opportunity in front of you. That's what I like about Prime. It makes it easy to say yes when the moment shows up. Same-day delivery, it's on Prime, available in select areas. Terms apply. Visit Amazon.com slash Prime to find millions of items delivered fast. To honor our country on its 250th birthday, this can of Copenhagen goes out to those defending the free American soil that our tobacco has taken root in for over two centuries and counting.

24:32Here's to the calloused hands of freedom. Copenhagen, saluting American grit, proven since 1822. Warning, this product is not a safe alternative to cigarettes.

25:12Shannon Sharpe:their highs. Listen to Unshaken with Gary Vee on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Declaration, which is full of these beautifully rendered, you know, sentences and paragraphs about Enlightenment ideals, does also have this darker history to it. Why is it important for the darker part of the Declaration of Independence in the American Revolution, why is it important that Americans know about it? Well, if we don't understand the full context in which our nation was founded, we won't understand the full context in which our nation now finds itself. I'm Rebecca Nagle, Goheen Dawadon, Jalakayetli, Gayla, citizen of Cherokee Nation.

26:01Are you guys big Chiefs fans? Hell yeah. This is First America, the true story of how the United States came to be and how we got to this present moment. Listen to First America on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. For sure, y 'all be good.

26:23Shannon Sharpe:Oh, here's our second guest joining us. Two-time Pro Bowl player in his first full season at the Seattle Seahawks. Here he is, big Leonard Williams. Leonard, what's going on, man? Sir, how you guys doing? Can y 'all hear me? We can hear you just fine. Can you hear us? Yeah. Yes, sir. I'm on my wife's computer, so I'm trying to figure out how to change the name on it right now. Oh, you mean to tell me you not Haley? L.W., what's up, boy? What's up? You not Haley? No, no, that didn't mean that. L.W., what's good, boy? I'm good. How you doing? Man, listen, man. Life is good, man. One foot in front of the other, man.

26:59I got my head high so I can see where I'm going. But before we start, before we get into football, I just want to know, you got a nutritionist? I do have a nutritionist on the team that I use, and then I also... Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. We're not using him or her no more. We're not using her no more. Listen, I'm a meal prep. I'm the NFL nutritionist. I've been appointed by the NFL for all the players, you know? So I'm going to send you information, and I'm going to be your meal. I'm going to meal prep your meals for the next 17 weeks and for the playoffs. And you, my second client, so I got... It's you and Kirby Joseph, and then I'm going to in$20 a week.

27:36$20 a week, that's all I charge. And so I'll be making sure to be prepared, eat before every game.

27:42Shannon Sharpe:I'm going to tell all the rookies about this. I appreciate that. I appreciate that. You get traded, you go to Seattle. And it seems like in Seattle you found a home. I mean, look, it's not that you didn't play bad, but it seems like you found a home in Seattle. Can you tell us what's the biggest difference between Seattle and New York? And I'm not talking about geographically, but I'm saying in the defenses, was it something the way the coaches, the way you received the information? Was it the way they gave the information? Is it the defensive scheme? What was different about the defense? Man, honestly, I agree with you.

28:18I feel like I found a home out here in Seattle. I feel like there's a combination of things that made it feel different. The fan base was one of the big differences. Just like the way they embraced me, the way they show up on game day, the way they support our team and stuff like that. And then also just in terms of schematics and coaches, I feel like, you know, having AD who came from the Cowboys and then Coach Mike McDonald, I feel like they just kind of created this scheme where they allow me to like play with freedom and they allow me to be like a playmaker and use my athleticism. and they celebrate me for, you know, just being in the backfield.

28:58And sometimes, like, if I see a play outside of the scheme, they allow me to, like, sometimes swim a block. Yeah, exactly, go make a play where, you know, a lot of times throughout my career I feel like I was almost too coachable at times where, you know, I was taken away from my playmaking ability where I was, like, trying to play a block the way the coaches wanted me to and stuff like that. So there's a lot of combination of stuff. It's so funny you just said that. We just talked to Kirby Joseph. And the one thing I asked him, obviously, they have a new defensive coordinator, right? And I said, do you still have the freedom to have free will outside of the scheme that your coach has?

29:39Will they still allow you to do that? And he said, yes. And the fact that you started everything out about your coaches allowing you to have the freedom to be able to make plays based on your football knowledge and what your eyes see. instead of what it says on paper. It's really, really important, especially for players like yourself, to be able to reach their maximum potential out there on Sundays. And that's really dope. That's really, really dope to hear. Yeah, I agree. I think it's important. I mean, for me, it just made me feel like it brought, like, the excitement of football back for me a little bit too, which made me, like, once I started having fun, y 'all played before, so you know how it is.

30:15Like, when you're out there having fun and you're able to play free and have free will and be celebrated for it. It's like the best out of you comes out, and I feel like that's how it is here.

30:27Shannon Sharpe:Let me ask you this. When you're at the Giants and then you get traded, you're like, damn, has anybody ever been traded from the Giants to the Jets or Jets to the Giants? I mean, because it is so different. I mean, the Jets fans and the Giants fans, they're so different. The city reacts so different to each team. Mm hmm. Yeah. I mean, like you said, it was even though we played in the same stadium, the fan base felt different. The culture felt very different. The Jets were kind of further out in Jersey. Felt like we were like a New Jersey team, kind of. And then the Giants being so close to the city made me feel like I was the actual New York team.

31:07But it was it was very interesting. I mean, luckily, I didn't have to move during that trade. I was still able to stay in my house. But it was definitely weird when like that same week I got traded, I ended up playing in the stadium and like, instead of going into one parking lot, I went to a different parking lot. And instead of walking down that hall to go to one locker room, I just went to a different locker room. So it was very strange. Yeah. It was interesting. Yeah. How, how's the body holding up, man? You're going, going into camp. I mean, actually camp now ending for week one. How's the body holding up?

31:41I mean, amazing. Honestly, I mean I have a coaching staff, our strength staff here at Seattle is the same strength staff I had at USC Wow It's really cool so they got to see me develop as like A young player so they know it works for Leonard Williams Yeah exactly and we all talk about how it looks like I'm like and it feels like I'm in the best shape of my life honestly

32:05Shannon Sharpe:I mean that's saying something for a guy your size to be able to move and be as agile what did they say you're the largest guy to ever get a what you have a 90 yard return a return you're the you're the heaviest guy in NFL history to return a an interception that far for a touchdown correct yeah that's correct so so how did that so let me so take us through it take us through that play what what what was what were you supposed were you supposed to drop in coverage or did you see something you see his eyes and just like look I'm gonna make this play yeah that's one of uh Mike McDonald's uh genius players right there actually where we it was designed for the details to drop out and i actually got a pick in practice uh earlier in camp that year so when that play was dialed up like every time it's dialed up i'm thinking i'm a play is coming my way and it just happened like it happened so fast man like people were asking me like oh like what were you thinking when it happened and i was telling everybody it felt like it was like an outer body experience actually like i felt like i was almost watching myself from like an aerial view of the happening i mean it wasn't like it ain't like you Nah, bro.

33:11Shannon Sharpe:I mean, like, you played tight end at some point in time. You caught the ball. You played on the other side of the ball. You had to. That was not a defensive tackle. Coming from a tight end, that means a lot, man. God, you picked. But yeah, I played tight end in high school, but it wasn't, like, much. It was, like, just every once in a while. I went to a big high school, so we didn't have to play both sides that much. But I'm an athlete, though, you know. Hey, you from L.A.? Yeah, I was born in California, but I went to high school in Daytona Beach, Florida. So I was kind of back and forth in California, Florida, most of my upbringing.

33:50Shannon Sharpe:Okay. You got a different quarterback this year, Gino Lees. He goes to the Las Vegas Raiders. In comes Sam Donald, who did an excellent job last year. But you play with Sam and with the Jets. So you're very familiar with him. What are the expectations? You guys had a nice little end to the season last year. I mean, so what's the expectations this year for Seattle? I mean, I think the expectation is, you know, as a defense, we want to be the best on the field. We have high expectations for our offense this year, but we compete with each other even within the defensive room. The defensive line wants to be the best group on the defense.

34:36The DBs want to be the best group on the defense. and so on. But I'm definitely excited about the way our offense is looking right now. We've got a new coordinator, and we're running the ball great so far. It's only been preseason, but it just looks like a new team with the way we're running the ball. And then, like you said, I play with Sam Darnold on the Jets, and then I also play with him at USC for like one year.

35:01Shannon Sharpe:Damn, you can't get away from him, huh? Yeah, I know. He keeps following me. but like just seeing what he did last year I mean you know he even played against us really well when we played them last year against the Vikings and just seeing the way he's matured you know he's bounced around played on a few teams played in a few different systems and I think he's finally found his groove and matured into a good player most definitely I mean I'm excited for you guys too especially from an offensive perspective seeing what Sam Donald was able to do in Minnesota last year obviously with Justin Jefferson and Addison Hoggerson but then also now you got JSN you got Cooper Cup over there Kenneth Walker obviously taking some of the pressure on him from allowing him to be able to flourish I think y 'all gonna be fine y 'all gonna be fine so I'm excited for y 'all who y 'all got week one?

35:50We got the Niners Divisional match Divisional match at a Vizio rivalry week one baby y 'all got it Niners they hurt they don't know who they gonna throw the

36:01Shannon Sharpe:ball too yeah let me ask you when you when you tell me what's your mindset what's your thought process because you know you do you move up and down the line because you know oh the great like a lot of the defensive players that you know the reggie weiss the bruce smith the aaron donalds those guys the johnny randles warren sap they moved up and down the line and they're trying to turn the handle to the door and see which one opens the quickest which one opened the easiest and that's where i'm gonna stay so i might be a i might have to be a line up in a seven i might have to line up at a five. I might get a three.

36:31Shannon Sharpe:I might get, Hey, I might get the nose, whatever. I'm just trying to find the weakest link because that's how it is on the Serengeti. The old and the weak get taken advantage of. That's what I'm looking to do. I mean, you said it perfectly. I mean, I never heard it described with the opening the door thing. That's like, I'm going to have to take that back into the D-line room and spread that. But yeah, I mean, I think that's something that makes me a unique player since coming out of, college, I could play from the zero all the way out to like six, nine technique on the edge. It showed up last year.

37:07I was getting sacks at end. I was getting sacks at three technique. I prefer three technique. You like to play the under tackle, huh? Yeah, I like to play three technique.

37:15Shannon Sharpe:You like that shade? You like to be on that shade? It's just less space, less stuff to look at. Sometimes when I'm out there at the end, it's like they'll try to put a receiver out there to make it look like you talk, crack you. Yeah, yeah. It's all that that tricky stuff out there on the edge. Sometimes when I'm on the three technique, I'm just... I'm gold. It's gold. I'm getting on my man right now as quick as possible. But in certain situations, like playing against the Niners, it's a little less about finding the fish, what we call it. Hey, you got to land him. Hey, we got a fish over here.

37:47Yo, yo, we got the fish. But against playing like the Niners, instead of finding the fish, they actually like to line me up on Trent because they say their offense has kind of ran around him sometimes. So it's like their run game and a lot of stuff like that tends to run towards Trent Williams. So they like to put me on him to kind of like help shut down the run a little bit. So it works hand in hand like that.

38:09Shannon Sharpe:What's it like? Let me ask you. What's it like to get traded midseason? I mean, so they call you. So were you home when you got the news that you were traded? Were you home? Were you at practice? So where were you when you got the news that you were going to get traded? I was in the building. Damn. It was on, yeah, it was on a Monday. So I came in just doing my normal routine. I was definitely hearing, like, conversations about, like, possible trade, you know, with my agent. And just the way the season was going for the Giants, you know, we were losing. We were pretty much already out of the playoffs.

38:43And then the GM, like, called me into his office, so I kind of already expected what was coming. And the way he presented it to me was making it seem like I had, like, two teams to choose from that were like both trying to trade for me for around the same offer pretty much. And at the time, like the Seahawks were like number one in the division. I knew a P. Carroll a little bit and I just thought it was the best fit for me. It was obviously a struggle, like coming all the way to the West Coast, Pacific Northwest. Yeah, that's a long way. That's a long way. Yeah, it was long. And then I'm living in a hotel for like two weeks before I get situated in like a house and stuff like that.

39:21So it's a lot. But, you know, I even played good for those eight weeks that I was here. And I remember, like, my wife and, like, coach and teammates even asking me, like, you know, how were you able to play good even in the middle of, like, moving and transitioning your life and stuff like that? And for me, I told my wife and other people that, like, there was so much going on, like, out of my control that it made me, like. Focus on what I could control. Exactly. I was fully dialed in on what I could control. So it's just like the way I showed up for work every day, the way I played and stuff like that just went to another level because I was like, oh, like I put so much more emphasis and focus on like what I could control.

40:00What are your goals this upcoming season from an individual standpoint? Obviously, you know, team goals. You have those defensively. You have obviously you have team goals that you have as a unit. But from an individual standpoint, what do you hope to accomplish this season outside of the main goal being Super Bowl? I mean, as an individual, I think I just want to like build on the season I had last year. I feel like I was short of some accolades that I that I worked for. And I feel like I want to, you know, be first AP All-Pro and Pro Bowl this year. And, you know, maybe like 10 plus sacks, like 15 plus TFS, just and also feed the rest of my guys.

40:44I feel like we have a great D-line right now, and I feel like at least four of us can have eight-plus sacks this year.

40:53Shannon Sharpe:Do you feel like the defensive tackles because you guys don't get the high sack totals? Aaron Donalds is an anomaly, a guy that plays a three-take, and you get 20 sacks. That's crazy. That's unheard of. But you guys don't get, like, the edges. You know, the Miles Garrett and the Micah Parsons and the T.J. Watts that's out there on edge and playing in space, they're going to have 13, 14, 15, 17, 20 sacks. Do you feel like you guys get the credit that you deserve?

41:23I think the standard for D-tackle definitely has changed in the last few years, and I think Aaron Donald was a big part of that, obviously. Him getting 10-plus sacks every year and 20 sacks, his defensive player of the year, that was different for a defensive tackle. But I think, like, if you were getting, like, six to eight sacks as a defensive tackle normally, that's like a good season. Yeah, that's a good season for a D-tackle normally. And I think nowadays, you know, fans want to see 10-plus sacks from a defensive tackle for them to think that you had a good season. And unfortunately, they see sacks as, like, one of the main stats, and they don't see, like, all the play-in, play-out.

42:06Shannon Sharpe:The run, the tackle, the losses, the holding up so the linebackers can make the play. I mean, I don't like to do all that either. Well, I thought once you told me you like to play the under tackle, I already know you ain't trying to two-go. Yeah, yeah. You ain't those. I like two-go, but I want to make the play for sure. I love my linebackers, but like I said, we'd be competing in our room. Hey, first come, first serve, bro. I'm trying to get it. I got first crack. I'm closer to it than you are. I heard you're in the Magic. Oh, what? You know about that? No, I just, I mean, you know, doing a little research.

42:41so you yeah yeah yeah it's not like it's not like pulling uh bunnies out of a hat like not like that type of magic you know i mean it's it's a card game uh kind of like similar to like pokemon it's you collect cards and you can play it it's called it's called like magic the gathering my wizards okay yeah yeah and i wizards of the coast is the brand that that uh makes them and What's cool is they're based out here in Seattle, so they gave me a tour of their facility and stuff like that. We've been in communication about it.

43:15Shannon Sharpe:So is that what you do in your downtime? I mean, I do a lot of things in my downtime. I feel like I'm pretty different from most football players. I think I started playing football later in life. I didn't start playing football until I got to high school. And I feel like because of that, I was able to kind of figure myself out as a person a little bit. I mean, I was young still, obviously, but I feel like I was able to like find other interests and hobbies and stuff like that outside of football. So I like to go like spear fishing and like boating and traveling. That's what I was about to ask you being up there in Seattle.

43:48Shannon Sharpe:Do you like to, do you like to go fishing because you know, what's the market? I went up there cause you got to go to the market. If you go to Seattle, you got to go to fish and do all that. Have you, have you caught them? Have you, have you been able to catch it? Yeah, of course I went up there like a few weeks after, I got traded. When I finally got out of the hotel, me and my wife were like, okay, now it's time to explore the city a little bit. So we went to the market and they all recognized me right away. So they were like, Big Cat, you got to come over here. And I was definitely nervous because I feel like I got hands.

44:19You've seen the interception. Catching a wet, slippery fish. Yeah, I'm like... But I caught it and it was a pretty cool tradition. But yeah, that's something I like to do during my off time is go fishing and stuff like that. And I'm based down in Florida during the off season, so it was perfect. Wait, you in Florida? Yes, sir. Where at? For a lot of the... Man, I'm right here. I'm right here in South West West. Go fishing, baby. I free dive when I fish. Yeah, that's what I'm saying when I go spearfishing. You be free diving? Yeah. Yeah, man. He ain't buying it. He ain't buying it. Hey, Leonard, I can hold my breath like four minutes.

45:01I can get in the spirit, in the water like myself. I'm a nomad. Okay. Yeah. I'll be doing - So, man, when you get here in the off season, man, I got you. We can take my boat. Where you at? Where you at? Where you live? I'm in Southwest Ranchers and fall out of there.

45:17Shannon Sharpe:Yeah, that's nice. Yeah, let's go, man. Yeah, man. Boat and everything, man. I do got a yacht. It ain't mine, but Mickey Harrison uses his yacht when I'm here to go - Same thing. Ain't nobody fishing off no yacht. Hey, let me ask you this. Would you go on a trip? Let's just say they say, well, they got to bring me back. I couldn't stay out there for no two, three months. The deadliest catch. You know, they go out there to the Bering Sea. I might could do it like a couple of days, but they're going to have to come get me. Oh, man. I don't lie. The way the boat be almost completely tilted over. Oh, you be sick?

45:54Yeah, I'm pretty adventurous. I like to do a lot of crazy stuff. My teammates judge me for it sometimes, but that's one of those I don't know. You good with that, say.

46:02Shannon Sharpe:Them Alaska king crabs, I went to they bring them to the shore. I get them dead. I'll buy them from the market. Hey, I like the T-shirt. You know that T-shirt? Appreciate that. Ligger than five. Yes, sir. That's my team. From L.A., baby. Man, Lina, thanks for joining us, man. Stay healthy. Great egg. Tremendous season last year. Hopefully even better season this year, man. Thanks for dropping by. And guess what? But when you get those double-digit sacks this year and make first-team All-Pro, come back and tell us about it. When you're moving like I do, trips don't always come together weeks in advance.

46:39Shannon Sharpe:Sometimes production shoots, interviews, or something I've got to travel for on a short notice. Like the time when I had the last-minute trip to Denver, and everything came together fast. Once it was locked in, I had to be ready to go. That's where Amazon Prime can make a difference. When something comes together quickly, you can get what you need, like grooming essentials, neck pillow, eye mask, even snacks for the flights, so you're ready to show up for it. With same-day delivery, all those items show up on time and still make the trip, so you can show up and focus on why you're there and not everything around it.

47:10Shannon Sharpe:Because at that point, it's not just about getting there, it's about making the most of the opportunity in front of you. That's what I like about Prime. It makes it easy to say yes when the moment shows up. Same-day delivery, it's on Prime, available in select areas. Terms apply. Visit Amazon.com slash prime to find millions of items delivered fast. To honor our country on its 250th birthday, this can of Copenhagen goes out to those defending the free American soil that our tobacco has taken root in for over two centuries and counting. Here's to the calloused hands of freedom. Copenhagen, saluting American grit, proven since 1822.

47:58Warning, this product is not a safe alternative to cigarettes. The Declaration, which is full of these beautifully rendered sentences and paragraphs about Enlightenment ideals, does also have this darker history to it. Why is it important for the darker part of the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution? Why is it important that Americans know about it? Well, if we don't understand the full context in which our nation was founded, we won't understand the full context in which our nation now finds itself. I'm Rebecca Nagle, Goheen Dawadon, Jalakayetli Keila, citizen of Cherokee Nation.

48:43Are you guys big Chiefs fans? Hell yeah. This is First America, the true story of how the United States came to be and how we got to this present moment. Listen to First America on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

49:03Shannon Sharpe:We've all been there. We've had seasons that have shaken everything. The question is, what remains when the shaking stops? Hi, I'm Gary Valenciano. And on my podcast, Unshaken with Gary V, I sit down with amazing personalities and we talk about the seasons that nearly broke them. The lows that carried them to their highs. Listen to Unshaken with Gary V on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Yes, sir. I appreciate y 'all having me, man. Thanks for joining us, bro. Appreciate you. All right, bro. The Cleveland Browns, Ocho, are trading Kenny Pickett to the Raiders in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick.

49:47Shannon Sharpe:Taken 20th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2022 draft, Pickett has now been traded three times in his career. That leaves the Browns with two rookies, Dylan Gabriel and Shadour Sanders, behind starter Joe Flacco. Stefanski has not named Flacco's backup. The Raiders needed a backup to Geno Smith after Aiden O 'Connell he broke his wrist and he's going to be out six to eight weeks so they needed a backup yeah uh the uh the browns like you know what we got one yes sir what y 'all what y 'all try to do what y 'all try to do something y 'all try to do something for two something because right now it's one o 'clock yeah he's the time four o 'clock everything needs to be uh uh taken care of so they got this done i like this move oh i told you yeah i didn't see a scenario where joe flacco and kenny pickett was on this roster.

50:38Shannon Sharpe:Two better quarters? I didn't see that. I didn't. So, Tim, what do you think about the move? Surprised? No, I'm not surprised at all. Obviously, Kenny Pickett is a very, very serviceable quarterback. He showed glimpses of being able to lead a team. Maybe not quarterback number one, but we saw him in Pittsburgh. We saw him in Philly when he got his opportunity to play there. And obviously, due to injuries and circumstance, we weren't able to see much of him in Cleveland. But obviously, we've seen what he could do in two other spots outside of Las Vegas, where he's going to be now. And obviously, learning and sitting behind Geno Smith is a great, great, great quarterback, quarterback number one, to sit behind and learn that offense from.

51:21And if anything goes wrong where Geno Smith goes down, Kenny Pickett is a great, serviceable quarterback that can go in and lead a team to a couple of wins. Obviously, they have Amari Cooper. Jacoby Myers is upset right now, obviously wanting an extension. And I think because of Jacoby requesting a trade, they obviously reached out to Amari Cooper. And Amari Cooper has some other choices of teams he could have went to, but he chose to go back to the Raiders for obvious reasons. He's going to get that ball. He's going to get that ball. And, I mean, that's what it is. I think it's a good thing, good pickup for Pete Carroll.

51:56And he's going to be all right. He's going to be all right over there in Las Vegas.

51:59Shannon Sharpe:Yeah, I'd like to move from both sides. Reports, Ocho, that Kenny Pickett, the Browns really like Kenny Pickett. Yes. They were hoping he would be their starter. But I didn't see a scenario where if you're keeping four quarterbacks, you're not keeping two veterans and two rookies. No. It didn't make a whole lot of sense to me, Ocho. No, not at all. Because the backup, he's not going to be your future. He's not your future. Your future are the rookies. So if he's your backup, now you're taking ref from them. Right. And I hate when they say stuff like that, too. The way you just started that sentence, they wanted Kenny Pickett to be the starter.

52:35Obviously, if Kenny Pickett was the type of quarterback that was to be a starter and the future for the Cleveland Browns, he would have been that. He's going to be a Pittsburgh. Yeah, I mean, no disrespect to him. No disrespect to him. He would have been that there. Yes. When you think about the makeup and the DNA of the Cleveland Browns, they are not heavily offensive skilled in a sense where you can have a quarterback that needs more talent around him to succeed like Kenny Pickett would. You know, I think Joe Flacco is suited. Okay, I don't have that much talent around me offensively because the identity for the Cleveland Browns is their defense, no matter what.

53:11Stay in the chat trying to hate. The Cleveland Browns defense, it's very good, no matter what you say. You can say what you want to say. So they went with the right choice in Joe Flacco. They got Jerry Judy, Njoku, and they're going to have to eat. Cedric Tillman, they're going to have to eat.

53:28Shannon Sharpe:Yeah, they're going to have to do a lot of the heavy lifting, Ocho. A lot of it. And the thing is, is that like Joe Flacco at 40 years of age and you're 18, what are your expectations? What are your expectations? Yeah. I mean, if you really go back and look at it, Joe Flacco really hasn't ever really been good in the regular season. He's made a name for himself in the postseason. Y 'all's. Beating an Andrew Luck, beating a Tom Brady, beating a Peyton Manning. That's where he beat Tom Brady twice in the postseason. Can I say something too long? Go ahead. Real quick. He beat Andrew Luck. He beat Tom Brady.

54:07Please let the chat know and understand the teams and the talent that was surrounding him.

54:13Shannon Sharpe:Yes. He did those. Let's remember what that defense looked like. Let's remember what the weapons he had on offense looked like. Now, it wasn't – obviously, it's a team game, but we can't just put this all on Flacco now. But he was – I mean, he was – I mean, he was – I mean, he looked like Joe Montana come playoff time. Oh, yeah. Because he never – what he's shown in the playoffs, he's never shown that in the regular season for any length of time. Yes, he's had good games. He's a quarterback. I mean, you don't be a quarterback for a decade plus – a starting quarterback for a decade plus, Joe, and not put up good numbers.

54:47Shannon Sharpe:So he's put up good numbers. Yes. But nothing that would say, oh, my God, there's a reason why Ozzie traded back into the first round. It's like Lamar Jackson. Yes, sir. So with that being said, he beat Andrew Luck. He went to Denver, beat Peyton Manning. He went to New England and beat Tom Brady. He did that. And then he went on the road and beat a San Francisco team when Colin Nick was at his apex. without outstanding defense when they had Navarro Bowman, when they had Patrick Willis, when they had Smith, when they had that great team. Frank Gore running the ball, a mammoth offensive line. He did that.

55:24Shannon Sharpe:I'll give him credit for that. But like I said, it's in the postseason that he's made a name, really cut his teeth and made a name for himself because there's really been no consistency in the regular season. He shows you flashes like, damn, why can't we get this more, more, more, more than this Joe Flacco than the other guy? Listen, Joe Flacco, what he going to get at Browns? He going to give you a five, six game run of wins? You're going to be like, holy man. He did it. He did it two years ago. Yep. Deshaun went down. Boy, they went on a hell of a run with Flacco, boy. Jerry, Judy. Wait, no.

55:59What's that Judy? Judy wasn't there then. No, Judy wasn't there. I figured it was somebody that received was going crazy, man. Might have been Coop. Might have been Coop. It was Coop. It was Coop going crazy, man. Mm-hmm. Yeah, it was. The damn show was cool.

56:13Shannon Sharpe:And see, and that's the thing. You see what happened? He came in. There was no expectation. They won some games, and then we started having expectations for them, and then what happened? Yeah. The bottom fell out. Interceptions. Turnover. Yes, yes, yes. So this, I like this move for the Browns. Now this gives Dylan Gabriel. Look, they talk about, well, they have a name to back up. We know who the backup's going to be. Mm-hmm. They won't need a name. We already know who the backup's going to be. Yeah. and Dylan Gabriel is going to be the backup it's your door when you get your reps because you're going to probably be Dylan will be running some of the opposing team's quarterback also but excuse me the scout team offense that's when your opportunity that's when you show what you can do that's the way you don't go through the motions you take it serious they tell you where to go with the ball you go through your progressions and get the ball where it needs to go.

57:10But in the meantime, hey, you get enough of that playbook,

57:13Shannon Sharpe:and when your opportunity presents itself, you take full advantage of it. And the funny thing, the good thing for Stewart, as well as Dylan Gabriel as well, is when you take the scout team reps, hey, you're going against the number one defense. Absolutely. Going against the number one defense. So obviously it's mental reps plus physical reps, but it's against the best players, similar to what you would see on a Sunday. So it's just not no, ain't going to be no walk in the park, man. Nope. Ain't going to be no walk in the park. Elcho, I relish that day. I remember, I remember that thing. That was 35 years.

57:46Shannon Sharpe:I was a rookie back in 1990. So that's 35, 36 years ago. I remember it. I was lighting them up, Elcho. Mm-hmm. Oh, yeah, this is my, hey, this is my Sunday. Right, right, right. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. That is my Sunday. I'm not going to get a whole lot of reps on offense. I'm going to be on special teams. This is my Sunday. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, I'm cooking. Yeah. And take it easy, hey, take it easy my ass. Right. Well, I'm trying to keep it. Hey, after the coach done told me that, hey, we still cut around here now. I just want y 'all to know that. Hey, Elcho, it's September. I think I done made the squad.

58:22Shannon Sharpe:Coach said, no, we still cut. Oh, yeah. Oh, no. Oh, no. I can't. Now, how that's going to look, Elcho? I done made the team. I done called home. Libby, I made it. Spank, I made it. Mama, I made it. Called my home, but I made it. and then all of a sudden I get cut. Oh, nah, nah, hell nah. Man, I was cooking, I'm trying to think who we played. We played the Raiders over the week, my rookie year. Man, I cooked the dude so bad Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, after practice they cut him. For real? Cut him, cooked him. Cooked, I was cooking. Hey, it's so funny. I didn't know the correct way to practice.

59:06I knew one thing. Do everything. Special teams, I'm out there playing around just to keep my body warm and moving. I'm at the corner. I'm running down on special teams. I was a gunner. I was. I'm in year 10. T.O. is obviously on the Bengals with me. So I'm peeping. I'm watching T.O. K. Okay, this is how he do it. Okay, that's how he do it. scout team come up. I'm taking all the reps on scout team to give my number ones a look. And T.O. pulled me to the side like, what is how you practice? You're not supposed to, you got to get your body time. Yeah, you got to save them legs, man. I say, T, boy, I take all the reps.

59:47This is all I know. This is how I know. I say, boy, Eli Ocho, boy, you tripping, boy. You got to save your legs for Sunday. I say, T, I'm going to be alright. But this is how I've always done it. I always take the scout team so I give the number one corners the best look depending on who they seeing. It's like, boy, you better than me. Because I couldn't do that.

1:00:07Shannon Sharpe:Early, you know, I would take a couple, you know, they was like want to get some work or something. But as I got older, I started getting year five, year six. I ain't got nothing for you on scout team. Real? I didn't know. My first time thinking there was something wrong with it, once T.O. got there, the Cincinnati was telling me, listen, you need to scale back a little. You need to tone it back. Do what you do with the ones when we're up offensively. And you go. You go. Oh, yeah. I'm getting seven hard reps. But plus, Ocho, you're taking one-on-ones too. See, I was the only tight end that took one-on-ones.

1:00:42Shannon Sharpe:I never ran routes against a linebacker or anything like that. I ran routes against the DBs. So I'm getting that and I'm getting my reps. So once we got through, I do like five, six plays, a nine-on-seven. Mike said 84, go down and get some work on one-on-one. Okay? Because, you know, some games I split out wide. I'd be in the flex position. Right, right. This is your opportunity. If I could tell any rookie anything, give him any advice, when you're running scout team, that is your Sunday. Yeah. That is your game. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday is your Sunday. You approach it like that. Mm-hmm. You like the, hey, man, take it easy.

1:01:23Shannon Sharpe:No, I ain't take it easy on nothing. When they cut that film on, they're going to see number 81 busting his ass. Mm-hmm. Because I ain't going home. Because you take it easy. You want to let, okay, hey, bro, I understand that you a vet. And you know, you're 10 or whatever the case may be. But I'm going 1 ,000 miles an hour. As hard as God will let me. Oh, yeah. And the ball going to be coming to me too? Oh, yeah. And they're like, hey, son, he's a rookie. So what you think they got going to do? Right. More than that. That's for sure. I don't even know what I'm doing. I'm just following the, hey, I just see the circle.

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