In our latest Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast episode, we answer your emails worldwide regarding many facets of the Silver and Black.
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00:00:00 Hi everybody, this is Hondo Carpenter, your Sports Illustrated Beat Writer covering the
00:00:06 Las Vegas Raiders.
00:00:07 I'm also the host of the Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast.
00:00:10 Thanks for joining us.
00:00:12 We want to get right into today's podcast.
00:00:15 It's a busy week.
00:00:16 Obviously, the off-season program is going on.
00:00:19 We're two weeks out, a little bit less than two weeks actually, from the start of the
00:00:24 NFL draft.
00:00:26 And we want to really dig in, get in and get involved in reading a bunch of your emails.
00:00:32 We've got a lot of really good ones.
00:00:33 I want to just remind you, when you go to Spartan Nation Mail, M-A-I-L@yahoo.com, you
00:00:39 can email me, put in the subject line, Raiders Q&A.
00:00:43 There are several people now that have been bumped to the spam folder because you put
00:00:48 Raiders Q&A in your emails and they're not questions.
00:00:51 It's comments, it's thoughts.
00:00:54 And we want to read those, but Raiders Q&A goes to a specific place that gets read.
00:01:01 And I want you to know you've been put in spam because you didn't listen.
00:01:03 So I'm sorry about that, but we've warned you lots of times.
00:01:06 So only use Raiders Q&A if you have an actual question in your email, comment, whatever.
00:01:19 It then gets filtered as, okay, people are spamming and it gets handled.
00:01:21 So please do that because of the voluminous amount of mail we get.
00:01:25 We want to handle it appropriately.
00:01:27 All right, let's dig in.
00:01:28 Here we go.
00:01:29 And it comes to us and says, "Dear Hondo, I feel like our 2023 draft class is getting
00:01:35 overlooked for the second year stride.
00:01:39 They will inevitably make.
00:01:41 AO4, Michael Mair, Trey Tucker played as a lot as rookies and really impressed with things
00:01:50 presumably starting to slow down for them."
00:01:53 Excuse me, for that draft class.
00:01:55 "Who do you see making the biggest stride of the year?
00:02:00 One of those four I mentioned, and I only see three that you mentioned, AO4, Michael
00:02:05 Mair, and Trey Tucker.
00:02:07 What do you see making, who do you see making the biggest stride?
00:02:11 One of the four I mentioned, or do you see Byron Young, Jacorian Bennett, Chris Smith,
00:02:18 Amari Burney, or Jaydn Estes-Silvera coming out of nowhere and taking a starting job?
00:02:24 Thank you, Justin in Ann Dale, Kansas."
00:02:28 Justin, I could sit here and legitimately make a case for all of those people to take
00:02:36 a step, and I think it would be fair.
00:02:40 But you're asking me, and I want to go back and read your question again, which thing
00:02:47 presumably, with things presumably starting to slow down for the draft class, who do you
00:02:55 see making the biggest stride this year?
00:02:59 Again, you can make a case for all of them, but if my life depended on it, it would be
00:03:06 Aiden or Trey Tucker.
00:03:09 Michael Mair, I certainly would not be shocked at all.
00:03:15 I guess I would be shocked if Nesta or Byron became starters, but not players and contributors.
00:03:22 I would be shocked if Jacorian became a starter, but not a contributor.
00:03:26 Amari the same way.
00:03:28 I feel good about all those players.
00:03:30 I still think they're a year away from a money year and making that jump.
00:03:34 But AO4, Trey, and Mair are all starters.
00:03:39 So again, I would say Aiden or Trey would be the one that I would think would make the
00:03:49 biggest stride forward.
00:03:50 I think Trey Tucker is going to be a superstar, and I've seen enough out of Aiden to be convinced
00:04:00 he has the potential to be.
00:04:03 And if he beats all comers, which will include the rookie and Anthony, or keeps the Moths
00:04:10 because it's his, he doesn't have to beat them out, he just has to keep staying ahead
00:04:13 of them.
00:04:15 I guess that is beating him out.
00:04:16 But I think if he can do that, he's going to have a big year.
00:04:21 Next one says, "Hondo, question.
00:04:23 Do you agree with me that the round that the Raiders used to draft a quarterback indicates
00:04:34 their confidence in AO4 as a long-term viable starter for the Silver and Black?"
00:04:41 Now he also has a comment I'm going to read you in a minute.
00:04:46 And that comes from John Brubaker.
00:04:50 No, I don't.
00:04:56 And I want to explain why.
00:04:58 They believe in Aiden.
00:05:00 They need to see more, but they absolutely believe in him.
00:05:04 But if the right quarterback isn't there, there are two quarterbacks that I believe
00:05:12 the Raiders would take in the first round.
00:05:15 There are some quarterbacks I think the Raiders would take in the fifth.
00:05:21 So that's neither indicative of AO4 or non-indicative.
00:05:28 It's simply where a quarterback's value is to get picked.
00:05:33 They believe in him.
00:05:35 100% they do.
00:05:38 But if there's somebody that they are convinced has a potential to be a franchise guy, they're
00:05:43 going to pull the trigger at one.
00:05:46 And if there isn't one there, they'll let it go down.
00:05:49 I believe, and we've yet to see, so I'm giving them the benefit of a doubt based on the past
00:05:57 and based upon my personal opinion, guided by wisdom, that they will pick a person according
00:06:06 to his value.
00:06:08 I don't think the Raiders will be making reaches.
00:06:11 But I've told you many of the best offensive quarterback drafters that I know tell me they
00:06:18 wouldn't touch Penix before the third round.
00:06:22 But if the Raiders are convinced he'd a man, if they're convinced he's the quarterback
00:06:27 of the future, they'll pull the trigger before.
00:06:30 So no, I don't think that's indicative because it's going to be the person there and how
00:06:34 they view the value.
00:06:35 Now many of you have heard me use the word "strategery."
00:06:40 I love that word and I knew it came from a comedy sketch, but John Burbank wrote me this
00:06:46 about my use of the word.
00:06:51 Strategery was invented by my stepson, Michael Schur, who wrote for Saturday Night Live.
00:06:59 It was created for Will Ferrell as former President George Bush in a skit with Darrell
00:07:05 Hammond as former VP Al Gore.
00:07:12 It made its way into popular culture.
00:07:14 So John, do me a favor and tell your son-in-law, thank you for inventing that.
00:07:21 I use it and I like it and you let Michael know I appreciate it.
00:07:26 Thanks.
00:07:27 Next email.
00:07:28 "Hello, Hondo.
00:07:29 Long time listener of the show.
00:07:32 My question is how valuable is a fifth year option for a rookie quarterback?
00:07:37 Would it be likely to trade up for a late first to take him on day one of the draft?
00:07:48 I'm curious to hear your thoughts, Brandon Tucker."
00:07:51 This is a great question.
00:07:57 It's actually a brilliant question.
00:08:01 Because I hear it all the time.
00:08:03 Well, if you're going to take so-and-so in the first round, I mean in the second round,
00:08:08 you might as well use a quarterback.
00:08:09 Or the third, you might as well run up in the first, you get an extra fifth rounder.
00:08:13 Okay.
00:08:14 But remember, 60% of first round quarterbacks fail.
00:08:19 Only 40% succeed.
00:08:22 So if you've got to take them that much early, what if it ends up being a guy that you don't
00:08:30 want the fifth rounder on?
00:08:33 Then you wasted the value of a pick.
00:08:35 See, too many people, and I'm not attacking you, Brandon, I'm explaining.
00:08:41 Too many people, they look at a player or a position and not the value of a pick.
00:08:49 I'll give you an example.
00:08:51 Years ago, I had a buddy that had a gorgeous sports car that his grandfather had purchased,
00:08:57 had under a thousand miles, and his grandfather a couple of years later died.
00:09:03 My buddy gets this gorgeous sports car, and it was a beautiful car.
00:09:08 And a few years go on, he gets married, everything's great.
00:09:12 Then the wife gets pregnant.
00:09:15 She says, "Babe, we can't use sports car.
00:09:19 We got to have a back seat for baby seats and all that stuff."
00:09:22 All right.
00:09:26 So he had to get rid of it.
00:09:27 Now, follow me for a minute.
00:09:31 That sports car was valuable and good to him.
00:09:33 He wasn't wealthy, but it didn't fit the need.
00:09:39 And so when he traded the car in for a minivan, he actually got cash back and basically got
00:09:44 the minivan for free.
00:09:47 Was that valuable of a car?
00:09:49 But he knew the value of what he needed.
00:09:54 If you think a guy is your franchise guy, then yeah, you go up and get them.
00:09:59 But if there's any doubt, you stay in the second round.
00:10:02 The fifth year option is not that valuable if you're not sold.
00:10:07 It all goes back to being sold.
00:10:11 I've heard some people say, "Oh, Hondo's throwing shade at Michael Penix."
00:10:14 You know, I can't address ignorant people who don't know how to listen, so I don't even
00:10:19 try.
00:10:21 The point is I have simply given information of what the best NFL drafters think of Penix.
00:10:27 I've told you, great kid.
00:10:30 I like him personally.
00:10:32 Like him as a quarterback.
00:10:34 The four season ending injuries are a great concern to me and the drafters that I respect.
00:10:41 But if the Raiders pick him in the first round, I'm rooting for the guy.
00:10:44 I want him to do well.
00:10:45 I don't root against people.
00:10:48 So my answer to you in a nutshell about the fifth year option, if you have to give extra
00:10:54 up, which is taking somebody where you don't have them valued, for a fifth year option,
00:11:00 you're not sure that you're going to need.
00:11:05 Now use another example.
00:11:07 If I'm sitting there in the third round and the second round of the 44th pick, and I'm
00:11:13 a hundred percent that the quarterback I want is coming to me and he's a franchise guy,
00:11:18 yes, I'm moving up to 31 to get the fifth year option.
00:11:23 If I'm a hundred percent sure.
00:11:26 But remember what Bill Pullian said right here in this podcast.
00:11:30 If you're not sure, you got your answer.
00:11:34 It all comes down to that.
00:11:35 Great question, O'Brien.
00:11:36 Thank you for asking it.
00:11:38 Next one comes to us from Chris M. "Hi, Hondo.
00:11:41 Who are two or three good players at the O-line that would make sense in this draft class?
00:11:47 Thanks for everything you do."
00:11:48 Well, there's a bunch of them.
00:11:50 You may remember I said this probably a month and a half ago.
00:11:54 The record for offensive linemen, I believe in the first round is five.
00:11:59 I think they're going to get as many as 10.
00:12:03 Fuwaga of Oregon State, physical beast, tough, mean.
00:12:13 You may remember Al Noga, who was a nose tackle for the Minnesota Vikings.
00:12:20 I had a scout that was very involved in getting Al Noga on the draft boards.
00:12:32 He told me that Fuwaga, even though he's a different position, one was a defensive tackle,
00:12:38 one's offensive, plays with that kind of mean.
00:12:44 Not a trash talker like John Randall, but mean like John Randall.
00:12:49 Great kid.
00:12:50 Just when I say mean, I mean tough as nails on the football field.
00:12:53 So Fuwaga, J.C. Latham, Alabama, Joe Alt is a really good.
00:12:59 Montu is another really good one from Penn State.
00:13:03 Alt is from Notre Dame, I believe.
00:13:06 So there's several of them.
00:13:09 Now, you have to also remember who fits your scheme.
00:13:16 I think Fuwaga is a great fit.
00:13:20 He's a great fit.
00:13:23 A great fit.
00:13:27 If you get a chance to get Fuwaga, I'm running the card up the aisle doing cartwheels.
00:13:43 He's a dude.
00:13:45 He can play and he's very physical.
00:13:48 He can bend, not only forwards and backwards, but sideways.
00:13:53 When you put the film on him and you watch how athletic he is, he's a 330-pound ballerina
00:14:02 with strength.
00:14:05 Just dude.
00:14:06 I like him.
00:14:12 But there's several I like.
00:14:14 Montu, like him.
00:14:16 Alt, like him.
00:14:19 Fuwaga, I like that.
00:14:27 And especially what the Raiders are doing, where they're going with this offense, they
00:14:35 want the big athletic offensive line.
00:14:45 Look that up in the dictionary.
00:14:48 The C-Fuwaga.
00:14:51 Here it goes.
00:14:52 I have so much fun with you guys.
00:14:55 I hope you know how much I appreciate you.
00:14:58 I really do.
00:14:59 I appreciate all of y'all.
00:15:00 You are tremendous and wonderful people.
00:15:03 Thank you for sharing your day with me.
00:15:07 Next one comes from Wayne R. "Hi, Hondo.
00:15:13 Huge fan of you and the Raiders.
00:15:15 What led you to Vegas to cover the Raiders, and do you find it difficult at times to be
00:15:18 non-biased when you cover a particular team so closely?"
00:15:24 Great question.
00:15:25 I should have known it with a name like Wayne.
00:15:29 My father's middle name was Wayne, and my son, Dexter Ernest Wayne.
00:15:34 So I should have known that, Wayne.
00:15:36 But let me dig into it.
00:15:37 So first of all, I was asked, I'd covered the Big Ten for many, many years.
00:15:42 Would you be willing to move to Vegas with the Raiders who are moving to Vegas to cover
00:15:49 them?
00:15:50 So that's in a nutshell how that all started.
00:15:55 The Raiders were a team that I had told them I would consider leaving the Big Ten for,
00:16:01 number one.
00:16:03 And then number two, I don't find it hard to not be biased.
00:16:06 And I want to explain.
00:16:10 I have many friends on the team and in the organization, many, who I respect, I like,
00:16:18 I admire, and I want them to do well.
00:16:21 I root for good people.
00:16:25 So I believe, since I'm very open, this is part of the reason why I'm so open, and it's
00:16:32 cost me listeners, people that said, "You're not a Raiders fan.
00:16:35 I don't want to listen to you."
00:16:36 Okay.
00:16:37 All right.
00:16:38 Go ahead.
00:16:43 But I put that out there to continue to remind myself, my job is to not be biased.
00:16:49 My job is to, do I want to see good people succeed?
00:16:52 I sure do.
00:16:54 I sure do.
00:16:59 But my job is to report on the team.
00:17:03 Now, do I like to see good people succeed?
00:17:06 I sure do.
00:17:08 I sure do.
00:17:10 But I think because I have so many friends at so many different positions at nearly every
00:17:17 team, it allows me to stay grounded.
00:17:22 There are friends of mine who are part of the Chiefs organization, and I enjoy them
00:17:30 and I care about them, and they're wonderful people.
00:17:32 I've got friends that, I've got one friend who, very high level executive at an NFL company,
00:17:40 and every time his team plays the Raiders, we get together and we're very close.
00:17:46 And him and his wife are very close to me and my wife, and we're very, very dear friends.
00:17:51 And he knows when I'm rooting for the game, I want good people to succeed.
00:17:58 So no, it's not hard for me because I keep it forefront.
00:18:03 Now I've had people tell me, you need to quit saying you're not a fan.
00:18:10 I disagree.
00:18:12 I think it makes my podcast different.
00:18:16 I respect the Raiders.
00:18:18 I care about the Raiders.
00:18:20 I want them to succeed.
00:18:23 I'm very fond of Raider Nation.
00:18:27 And so I'm not ashamed of that at all, but wanting someone to succeed and then rooting
00:18:35 for it are two different stories, two different stories.
00:18:39 All right.
00:18:40 Good question though.
00:18:41 Thank you, Wayne.
00:18:42 Next one comes to us from Jeffrey T. Dear Hondo, you've talked about ownership from
00:18:46 different teams, possibly affecting current members of their staff and front office from
00:18:52 doing their jobs.
00:18:53 What is it that ownership does that makes it more difficult to let football people perform
00:19:00 their jobs?
00:19:02 Do they dictate the direction of the organization without any willingness to adapt?
00:19:06 Do they only want to sell tickets and therefore want to keep their star players beyond their
00:19:14 market value, having little interest in winning games?
00:19:18 Great question.
00:19:20 You guys hit it out of the park to end questions, by the way.
00:19:23 So Jeffrey, let me give you a couple examples, different teams.
00:19:27 Not going to tell you the teams, but I'm gonna give you a couple examples.
00:19:30 I knew a team that for a long time had a really bad history in the draft.
00:19:35 They were not successful.
00:19:36 Their franchise was terrible.
00:19:37 They didn't succeed.
00:19:40 And a general manager comes in, wants to change the direction of the franchise and wants to
00:19:46 go with a very solid pick, who by the way, became a Hall of Famer.
00:19:51 But the owner wanted a particular skill player and said, this is who the fans really want.
00:20:00 It's who they're calling in the radio stations.
00:20:02 But sir, we don't need that position.
00:20:05 I know, but it's what the fans want.
00:20:07 You know, they're going to be excited.
00:20:11 Okay.
00:20:14 Everybody's got a boss.
00:20:17 I heard a story once about an NFL owner that had a relationship with a particular college
00:20:25 and told his owner, I would like you to draft somebody from this college.
00:20:30 They don't have a lot of guys drafted.
00:20:32 It'll really help them in recruiting.
00:20:34 And the guy's like, what?
00:20:37 Oh yeah, just use a late pick.
00:20:42 What?
00:20:47 I know owners that refuse to let players get cut.
00:20:51 No, they're a fan favorite.
00:20:53 The fans love them, but we're clearly not producing.
00:20:58 Okay.
00:20:59 I know owners who say, who jump in on contract negotiations and then come up with deals that
00:21:07 really handcuffed general managers and salary cap people.
00:21:11 So there's a lot of different ways ownership can get in.
00:21:14 They can fire coaches and general managers all the time.
00:21:17 So no continuity of vision gets established.
00:21:21 There's a lot of different ways.
00:21:24 And it happens.
00:21:29 Next one.
00:21:30 I don't know.
00:21:31 Having watched the draft for decades, it never ceases to amaze me how media hype raises stock
00:21:37 to a frenzy.
00:21:39 High paid executives fall victim every year, resulting in a spectacular bus and lost jobs.
00:21:48 Question.
00:21:49 Who rises this year?
00:21:53 Which risers this year do you feel have been artificially propped up by the media and won't
00:21:59 pan out?
00:22:01 Ooh, that's good.
00:22:05 So let me, I'm going to answer this question, but I'm going to go at it from a different
00:22:10 angle if you don't mind.
00:22:11 I got to remember who asked.
00:22:12 George C. George C. George, I let's use CJ Stroud, for example.
00:22:21 Okay.
00:22:22 Last year, allegedly he didn't do good on a IQ type test.
00:22:28 I was told it was leaked by a team that wanted him to drop so they could draft him.
00:22:39 Not always, but sometimes you'll hear negative buzz.
00:22:45 Now there are a couple of things, and I believe that I do a good job of guarding against this.
00:22:51 And I'll share with you in a moment how I think I do that.
00:22:54 Then it'll be your decision.
00:22:55 But there are times information gets out there, so players will drop.
00:23:01 There's also times that information gets out there because a journalist is able to get
00:23:07 it from somebody he really trusts.
00:23:10 So let's go back last year.
00:23:14 There was a defensive lineman that I was told by many people when the draft process started,
00:23:24 Malin Carter was the best, most talented player in the draft, but also had the most red flags.
00:23:33 Okay.
00:23:34 And he was falling off draft boards because there was a lot of concern about him.
00:23:39 I know that for a fact.
00:23:42 That was not hyperbole.
00:23:44 I didn't mind writing it because I got it from people.
00:23:48 And this goes back to me now explaining to you how I think I do a good job.
00:23:53 I don't mean that arrogantly.
00:23:58 I listen to people who I know personally and who transcend the relationship of media and
00:24:06 executive or agent and it's two friends.
00:24:11 I listen to those people and I value those people.
00:24:16 They know I'm not going to give them poor information and they know that I know they're
00:24:20 not going to give it to me.
00:24:22 Now there are times that they'll say to me, "Hondo, I can't answer that."
00:24:25 And there'll be times, I'll give you a quick one.
00:24:28 Just the other day, I had a friend call me who knows that I'm friends with another executive,
00:24:33 not a Raiders, but another executive.
00:24:36 And he said, "Hey, what do you think they're going to do?"
00:24:40 And I laughed and he goes, "I know you can't tell me."
00:24:42 I said, "I can't."
00:24:44 And I go on, "I wouldn't tell them what you think."
00:24:47 And they respect that.
00:24:49 That's why when I do my mock drafts, I won't let my friends pick for their teams.
00:24:55 That way everybody knows the rules.
00:24:59 So I only listen to people who I emphatically trust and they have to be people who are proven,
00:25:07 who are, and I tell them, "If you try to use me," I don't tell them this now, but when
00:25:16 people are coming up the ranks as a source with me, "If you lie to me, I'll name you."
00:25:25 And so I just, I'm very careful.
00:25:29 There are some media who have really, really good relationships, so they get information
00:25:33 and they put it out there.
00:25:34 Again, I was told that the CJ Stroud stuff was strategery, trying to get them to drop.
00:25:45 Harder it wasn't.
00:25:46 You can go look, I believe his agent's Drew Rosenhaus, which this is a story for another
00:25:51 day.
00:25:52 If one of you ever emails me about it, everyone knows Rosenhaus and most people think that
00:25:56 Drew Rosenhaus is not well liked in the NFL.
00:26:00 I've had multiple general managers tell me they would rather deal with Drew Rosenhaus
00:26:05 than a lot of agents, that he is a terrific agent in working with the team.
00:26:12 So teams do respect him.
00:26:13 I can tell you that.
00:26:15 But anyways, but I believe it was last year, there was a report that Drew Rosenhaus was
00:26:22 on the phone almost begging the Eagles to pick him because they knew if he gets past
00:26:28 the Eagles, he's dropping a long ways.
00:26:31 So again, those are big things that go into the process.
00:26:36 I'm not going to necessarily name some players to you, but I am going to use one example
00:26:41 if you don't mind.
00:26:46 Sorry it's hot.
00:26:47 J.J. McCarthy, if you go back and look at my first mock draft this year, the general
00:26:56 manager, we had the Raiders taking him in their first pick of the second round.
00:27:02 And I wrote this, said by the time the draft gets here, I'll be shocked if he's not in
00:27:06 the top three.
00:27:07 And he goes, but if the draft were today, you could get him in the second round.
00:27:13 McCarthy's driving up and that's not false.
00:27:16 The best drafters have been on McCarthy since the Alabama game.
00:27:23 And then after his pro day, everybody got on.
00:27:27 I have a very dear friend of Shannon and I's.
00:27:29 I mean, very dear.
00:27:33 I bet we go to dinner four or five times a year and we're very close as families, not
00:27:41 just as a couple, our children and stuff.
00:27:46 And he told me that J.J. McCarthy had the best pro day of any quarterback he had ever
00:27:55 seen.
00:27:57 And he goes back a long ways, a long ways.
00:28:02 He just said it was just amazing pinpoint accuracy.
00:28:06 He goes, it wasn't accuracy with an open receiver with no defensive back.
00:28:12 It was putting the ball in and he did some drills.
00:28:16 All right, let me go back.
00:28:17 I should probably explain to you pro days.
00:28:19 So the quarterback does a lot of drills from the middle of the field and he's doing outroutes
00:28:24 and sevens and posts and everything else and flag routes.
00:28:28 But he was doing routes up against the sideline where it had to be pinpoint accurate because
00:28:35 he wanted to show his accuracy.
00:28:37 He wasn't hiding in the middle of the field where there's no defensive back.
00:28:40 Ooh, he threw the ball.
00:28:41 The guy caught it.
00:28:43 Ooh.
00:28:44 No, he was doing drills where there's a window.
00:28:47 This one guy told me there was about an eight inch window, which is tight even in the NFL.
00:28:54 And he said he just drilled the guy in his hands, just drilled it.
00:28:58 So he had a great pro day.
00:29:00 So he's rising because that's what people are talking about.
00:29:06 Media in this business don't pipe someone up and get guys to make the picks.
00:29:14 I think even the guys that I would consider the worst in the draft, media guys, I don't
00:29:21 think do that.
00:29:23 Somebody's telling them.
00:29:24 A lot of them get played, but somebody's telling them that.
00:29:28 And so again, I'm not going to get into anyone right now.
00:29:32 I may next week because I'm going to get a lot more detailed in the draft next week.
00:29:37 But I would just tell you, I think that's how that all goes down.
00:29:40 And I know how that's how it goes down for me.
00:29:42 And it's how I try to be careful for you.
00:29:45 So thanks a lot for that.
00:29:47 Really appreciate that question.
00:29:49 Thank you.
00:29:52 It says, Hondo, for the 24 draft, do you have any surprises that you're thinking or hearing
00:30:02 about?
00:30:03 It never goes the way people think.
00:30:06 And they are exciting.
00:30:07 And they're they're exciting.
00:30:10 And that's the exciting part.
00:30:12 A surprise I am qualifying as something that is being talked about, or goes much differently
00:30:19 than current consensus.
00:30:21 Thank you.
00:30:22 God bless John M. I actually do.
00:30:29 I have not been able to verify this.
00:30:32 So I am not going to tell you what it is.
00:30:35 And it's not Raiders.
00:30:37 I have heard that there is a team that is actively shopping a major player to move up
00:30:48 in the draft, a major player.
00:30:53 I think a lot of you would be shocked.
00:30:55 So I have heard it.
00:30:58 I haven't heard it from more than one person.
00:31:00 I heard it from somebody I trust.
00:31:02 But I haven't heard it from more than one person.
00:31:04 And I like to, you know, I love the old saying in the mouth of two or three witnesses, let
00:31:09 every word be established.
00:31:11 So I like to get more than one.
00:31:12 I mean, I trust that it was legitimate because of the person who told me.
00:31:16 But yeah, I think there could be some interesting developments.
00:31:20 And you never know.
00:31:22 I hear about trades all the time, or I get it verified from two or three teams.
00:31:29 Again, the Raiders looked at trades.
00:31:32 Nothing was imminent, but they're still looking.
00:31:36 People look at trades all the time.
00:31:37 That's the nature of the business.
00:31:40 But if this deal goes down, that would be a big deal.
00:31:49 Next.
00:31:53 This comes from Lion M. Do you think if the Raiders started winning, the issues people
00:31:59 see with fan attendance will disappear?
00:32:02 Or will the rivalry always be there?
00:32:05 And the point is mute.
00:32:06 Now we still have the rivalry with the Bay and with Las Vegas.
00:32:11 I'm going to tell you this.
00:32:13 Raider fan will show up for a team that shows up.
00:32:19 You don't even think it's got to be a Super Bowl contender.
00:32:22 Remember how Allegiant was last game last year?
00:32:26 Remember how Allegiant was?
00:32:28 It was different after AP took over.
00:32:30 Now there were some games that were already sold a lot to visiting teams.
00:32:36 So they still had a lot, but even the atmosphere was different.
00:32:38 Do you remember go back to Rich Versace, last game of the year against the Bolts, if they
00:32:42 win it, they're in the playoffs.
00:32:45 That crowd was all Raider.
00:32:47 Now it helped they're playing the Chargers.
00:32:48 And as Mark Davis says, I think he calls it their five fans.
00:32:52 But the point is, absolutely.
00:32:55 I don't think there'll be any issue, but the Raiders have to produce.
00:32:59 The Raiders moved to Vegas.
00:33:01 So they move away.
00:33:03 It's very expensive because the stadium is sold out on the secondary market.
00:33:07 It's not cheap to go to Raider game at Allegiant.
00:33:11 So yeah, I think it's, but if the Raiders are putting a product that is commiserate
00:33:19 with cost, people will be there.
00:33:23 I'm going to tell you something.
00:33:24 I've only covered Raider Nation five years.
00:33:26 Now you guys have done a very good job as silver and black missionaries winning over
00:33:30 a lot of my family, several of my children.
00:33:34 And of course my wife and Dexter are huge.
00:33:39 Every time I tell my wife, I'm going to go do my podcast.
00:33:41 She always says, remember, I'm like, what?
00:33:45 Raiders.
00:33:47 But I will tell you that Raider Nation, man, I believe in them.
00:33:55 They're going to be there.
00:33:57 I told someone a couple of weeks ago, maybe a month, I said, one thing you never have
00:34:04 to worry about Raider Nation.
00:34:07 You show up, they'll show up.
00:34:12 It's not a life.
00:34:14 It's not a fandom.
00:34:16 It's a lifestyle.
00:34:17 They live it every day, every day.
00:34:20 But every day they show up, every day they're there, every day.
00:34:33 Raider Nation, they're the best for a reason.
00:34:38 You even, you put a competitive product out there that's fighting, that's representing.
00:34:44 No, that's not a Hondo term, but kids like to use the term represent.
00:34:51 They'll be there.
00:34:52 They're the most loyal fan base across all economic divides, all politics, all races,
00:34:59 all genders, all everything, all religions, Raider Nation.
00:35:12 You be like them, which is just show up, do your job, hard work and lunch, pale folk.
00:35:19 They'll be there.
00:35:22 Next, Nick Z.
00:35:26 My question is about the draft.
00:35:28 I hear not only you, but a lot of people talk about the success rate of picking a solid
00:35:34 quarterback in the first round being around 50%.
00:35:38 It's actually 40, but pretty close.
00:35:40 I've looked into the past 20 years or so, and I would agree.
00:35:45 Offensive linemen seem to be the best at 70% success.
00:35:49 When you look at the numbers, is the QB really that much of a risk compared to other players?
00:35:55 Nick Z, absolutely it is for a couple of reasons.
00:35:59 First of all, I don't know where you got your stats, but I can tell you, drafting is an
00:36:08 art.
00:36:10 The reason there are so many failures is because there are so many teams that don't know how
00:36:15 to draft.
00:36:17 They take risks.
00:36:20 I would say this on any draft, this year or 20 years from now, if the Lord wills it, I'm
00:36:29 still the beat writer covering the Raiders.
00:36:32 You don't take risks in the first round, but you get a lot of people take a lot of risks
00:36:39 . Okay.
00:36:41 Okay.
00:36:43 Whatever you say.
00:36:47 It's what you think, and you go do it.
00:36:52 But when it fails, you don't take risks.
00:37:03 Now, there are times that you do.
00:37:10 Maybe there's a guy that a lot of people don't like, but you've got some inside information
00:37:15 that his offensive coordinator didn't really like him.
00:37:19 And I knew of a situation where a player was out and this is not a Raiders situation, by
00:37:29 the way, it was a college situation.
00:37:32 But a Raider, not a Raider, again, not Raider, but a player, not a Raider, a player, college
00:37:40 player got hit on by a coach's wife.
00:37:48 And he didn't do anything, man.
00:37:50 He kept it alone.
00:37:52 So the wife tells the husband, he made a pass at me.
00:37:55 And there was all kinds of dissension.
00:37:57 The player didn't get used much.
00:38:00 So, oh, yeah, yeah, he really fell off.
00:38:03 But a team got information, hey, this is a good kid, understood the situation, nabbed
00:38:08 him.
00:38:10 Maybe you've got that.
00:38:11 But good drafting teams know how to do their investigation.
00:38:15 They know how to look at a ton of details.
00:38:19 They know how to check everything.
00:38:21 I'll give you another one.
00:38:23 So years ago, Brian Hoyer was coming out of college.
00:38:30 He had 70 passes drop that were catchable balls, very accurate thrower in college.
00:38:38 And for people that are Brian Hoyer haters, I'm friends with Brian.
00:38:41 You know that I've never hidden that from you because I didn't.
00:38:43 I wanted to protect you in case I was being biased.
00:38:48 But you know, the guy played 14 years in the NFL and made tens of millions of dollars.
00:38:54 And I always laugh because I bet most of his critics, he made more than them.
00:38:58 And he played pro football.
00:39:00 So the pro football teams thought he was worth something.
00:39:03 Again, his career at Raiders was not good.
00:39:07 But I'm speaking in generalities.
00:39:11 So the Patriots loved him.
00:39:15 Bill Belichick loved him because he was so accurate.
00:39:18 Gets him, keeps him for years.
00:39:20 Why?
00:39:21 They had good information.
00:39:24 This all comes down to, I don't think it's position.
00:39:27 I think it's there's teams that take too many risks, too many risks.
00:39:36 You just knew.
00:39:37 When Tony Mandarich came out of Michigan State, I think, I don't remember, he was third, fourth,
00:39:42 fifth pick, maybe second pick in the NFL draft by Green Bay.
00:39:49 He dominated in college.
00:39:51 But people knew there's some concern with Tony.
00:39:57 Okay.
00:39:58 Packers didn't care and picked him.
00:40:01 And you could call him an absolute bust pick.
00:40:07 But in another round, he wouldn't have been a bust.
00:40:11 But good teams did their research, investigation, and they understood.
00:40:17 So again, I think it comes down to being a good drafting team, picking the player of
00:40:24 value.
00:40:25 Again, now, the closer you get to the bottom of the draft, it's a different story.
00:40:33 But the higher the pick, the stronger the need for that one to hit.
00:40:39 I would take more risks in the second and third round.
00:40:44 Unless there are guys there that I got first round value on that fall into the second.
00:40:48 And every year it happens.
00:40:50 Every year it happens.
00:40:52 I know of six or seven teams that had Michael Mayer with a top of the first half grade last
00:41:02 year.
00:41:05 Now, there were a lot of bad draft picks last year.
00:41:11 So a bunch of those type of players fell.
00:41:15 And the Raiders did everything they could to get up to get Michael Mayer, which was
00:41:18 a great draft pick.
00:41:21 But those are the type of situations.
00:41:23 So you're sitting there in the second.
00:41:24 Okay, I'll take a risk on this guy.
00:41:26 But there's four or five guys there that I still had first round grades on.
00:41:31 So I would start maybe taking more risks in the second.
00:41:34 If I'm a general manager, I'm not taking risks in the first round.
00:41:39 And it is very difficult if you're a good drafter to not find first round talent or
00:41:46 to be able to trade out.
00:41:48 And just say, you know what, I don't have anybody right now of value at this spot.
00:41:53 I'm trading.
00:41:54 And that takes discipline.
00:41:58 If you're a rebuilding team and you know you need players, well, everyone's going to want
00:42:05 me to use my first rounder.
00:42:06 But I really like some guys in the second, but I'm not sure if they're first round value.
00:42:13 It takes discipline.
00:42:15 I'll get more into that in a minute.
00:42:18 Next one comes to us from Alex O.
00:42:25 My question for you is, have you noticed that the free agents, coaches that AP has brought
00:42:31 in were primarily from teams that he saw after he took over as head coach?
00:42:37 Wilkinson from Miami, Madison from Minnesota, Minshew, Getzey, etc.
00:42:44 All people he saw up close and personal in tough losses.
00:42:48 And I'm wondering if that's a common thread around the NFL or something more telling of
00:42:53 AP as a coach?
00:42:55 That's a really good question, Alex.
00:42:56 I don't think at all that all of it is related to them beating the Raiders.
00:43:05 But I think some of them fit places of need.
00:43:11 And he was impressed with how they beat them for sure.
00:43:16 And having not been a coordinator or been in the NFL for long, he didn't have a lot
00:43:22 of time to build up relationships.
00:43:25 And AP is a very smart football savvy guy and he knows my eyes don't lie to me.
00:43:32 So what he sees, he trusts.
00:43:34 It's why you like to hear him say my resume is on the field.
00:43:38 He likes people that he knows are already producers and why.
00:43:43 So I don't think everyone got hired because of that, but I certainly don't think it hurt
00:43:48 them.
00:43:49 Now, next one comes from Steven Lisa in San Antonio, Texas.
00:43:53 I was just there a few weeks ago.
00:43:56 Beautiful beautiful city.
00:43:57 Our question is, since you have so much knowledge about the team as one of the major beat writers,
00:44:04 and in our opinion, the best one too, thank you very much.
00:44:07 I appreciate that.
00:44:09 Could you tell us, the fans, your biggest concern about this year's team?
00:44:14 What is something you are really watching that we too as fans need to watch too?
00:44:21 Steven Lisa in San Antonio.
00:44:24 What a great question.
00:44:25 By the way, Steven Lisa, if you're ever looking for a great restaurant in San Antonio, it's
00:44:29 all over Texas, but the best Mexican restaurant in the world, bar none, in America, by the
00:44:37 way, I guess I should say in America, the best Mexican restaurant is Papacito's.
00:44:45 Get the quail, get the grilled quail and the queso cheese and the tortillas.
00:44:51 Oh, I may have to get a plane.
00:44:57 My wife and I every year on her birthday, we catch a plane to Texas in the morning,
00:45:02 have lunch at Papacito's, dinner at Papacito's and then fly home that night.
00:45:07 And just go eat at Papacito's and thank me later.
00:45:10 It's really, really good.
00:45:11 All right.
00:45:12 So yes, there is a concern and I'm going to tell you what it is.
00:45:17 The Raiders are never going to be good again until there's stability, stability in ownership,
00:45:24 stability in coaching, stability in the management team, the right roster, all of that.
00:45:31 And what happens that I've noticed, and I've covered other teams and some of them can be
00:45:38 critical for sure, but I've never seen anything like the Raiders.
00:45:43 They will just turn on their own.
00:45:47 And I understand they haven't been good in so long and the franchise, it's the franchise's
00:45:51 fault because they sell the fans just win.
00:45:56 I don't think the Raiders are a Super Bowl team next year.
00:45:58 I do think they're a playoff team, but I don't think they're a Super Bowl team.
00:46:03 And I just think fans need to take a deep breath and let this team develop.
00:46:11 It's going to be the first year for Antonio Pierce.
00:46:15 Intern doesn't count.
00:46:16 He didn't have a staff.
00:46:17 He was down two coaches, no trade deadlines, no OTAs, no mini camps, no training camp,
00:46:23 nothing.
00:46:24 And it's going to be his first year.
00:46:26 There's going to be some learning pains.
00:46:28 There's going to be some adjustments.
00:46:30 They're bringing a new system on offense.
00:46:33 There's going to be some adjustments here.
00:46:38 And invariably you watch.
00:46:41 In fact, if y'all remind me, I'll do this on Twitter.
00:46:47 Some are probably in the first quarter, maybe the second quarter, third quarter, fourth,
00:46:50 but sometime in the first game, someone's going to write, this team sucks.
00:46:55 Terrible hire with AP.
00:46:58 They're going to know that in game one, because they want to have the big take to be able
00:47:02 to go back and show everybody the tweet.
00:47:04 Look it.
00:47:05 I said this in the first game.
00:47:06 I said it.
00:47:07 I was the first.
00:47:08 When I was a kid, we would say, take a chill pill, relax, let it unfold.
00:47:19 Let it develop.
00:47:20 I don't know if you could hear Dexter's in the other room playing football and you just
00:47:24 said Raiders.
00:47:29 But I'm not even a Raider fan, Steve and Lisa.
00:47:34 And I'm so tired of watching this fan base fight each other, attack each other.
00:47:40 I mean, everyone talks about, you know, Raider Nation's family.
00:47:45 And when you're out in those parking lots at those, those tailgates, it is that way.
00:47:52 But it's like they get in the building and I don't get it.
00:48:00 I don't understand it.
00:48:01 Now, maybe the people that are that way aren't out there tailgating, but that's where some
00:48:06 of you need to calm some of these people down.
00:48:10 Hey, you know what?
00:48:12 It's the first game.
00:48:13 Shut up.
00:48:15 Relax.
00:48:16 Take a pill.
00:48:18 I remember years ago, I was watching a scrimmage.
00:48:23 It was Kirk Cousins' first scrimmage at Michigan State.
00:48:28 And whether you like Kirk or not, he's gone on and made a ton of money in the NFL and
00:48:31 he was really good.
00:48:33 And so I'm sitting in the stands watching, I'm a media member, but I'm sitting in the
00:48:37 stands watching it.
00:48:40 Now, I've known Kirk a long time.
00:48:45 I know his parents, his brother, wonderful people, precious people.
00:48:53 And I'm sitting there with another parent and Kirk drops back, throws the ball, hits
00:49:03 the ground.
00:49:04 And this guy yells out, "Oh, you suck.
00:49:10 No wonder nobody wanted you and we were able to get you at the end of the recruiting.
00:49:14 You suck."
00:49:15 At a scrimmage.
00:49:16 And I remember I took my sunglasses off and I looked over at the guy and I go, "Shut
00:49:25 up.
00:49:26 You shut up.
00:49:28 It's a scrimmage.
00:49:31 It's a closed scrimmage.
00:49:34 He's a freshman.
00:49:37 Give the kid a break.
00:49:42 Let your team develop a little bit.
00:49:45 I mean, how stupid do Chiefs fans look?
00:49:50 Who last year when the Raiders went into their house on Christmas Day and bumped them.
00:49:57 Booing your team.
00:50:01 Booing your team.
00:50:02 If you were booing that team on Christmas Day and you're not a Raider and you're a Chief
00:50:06 fan, then you better not be cheering at a Super Bowl.
00:50:14 Come on now.
00:50:15 It's the family.
00:50:16 It's the family.
00:50:17 My wife gets to enjoy some great times in my life, but guess what?
00:50:25 She was faithful when times weren't great.
00:50:30 And I don't think there's anything wrong with being critical with your team after the season
00:50:34 to go back and really be analytical and look at things.
00:50:37 But what does it gain for you to go on social media and trash your own players?
00:50:43 I've seen Raider fans tweet at Raider players or Instagram them.
00:50:52 Trash them.
00:50:54 Are you going to go to your kid's baseball game and boo them?
00:51:01 Yet you claim to be a family?
00:51:05 My belief has always been you let the year play out and then you look at the year and
00:51:09 you be analytical and you be tough.
00:51:12 You all know how I am.
00:51:18 Every coach I cover gets 20 games when they start.
00:51:23 And this is going to be AP's first season.
00:51:26 So it starts now.
00:51:27 He gets 20 games before I'm going to be tough on him.
00:51:30 Why?
00:51:31 Going to have to get his guys.
00:51:33 He's going to have to.
00:51:34 I guarantee you, I almost would guarantee you, the staff next year is not going to be
00:51:39 the staff he has this year.
00:51:41 He's going to work through some things.
00:51:42 He's a new coach.
00:51:43 There's going to be some adjustments.
00:51:46 Let him adjust.
00:51:49 Let him adjust.
00:51:52 You are never going to be successful as a franchise.
00:51:56 Ever.
00:51:58 If it's just constant turmoil.
00:52:00 Again, I'm not preaching at you, but the Bible says a house divided against itself can't
00:52:06 stand.
00:52:10 There's a lot of people in Raider Nation who I am convinced enjoy hating Raider Nation.
00:52:17 It's almost fun for them.
00:52:21 Something's going to happen.
00:52:22 Somebody's going to rip Mark Davis.
00:52:24 Okay, you're going to rip him.
00:52:26 The guy that just spent tens of millions to get rid of a coach that he didn't have to.
00:52:35 That's leadership.
00:52:37 I don't care who they pick.
00:52:40 They need to ride this train.
00:52:42 They got to get on the course of stability.
00:52:45 By the way, if you only watch this video on SI or on YouTube, you can check out the audio
00:52:54 at Apple or at Spotify.
00:52:57 I do an additional podcast every day called Riding with Hondo and Dexter.
00:53:01 It's an audio exclusive only.
00:53:02 It's usually four to six minutes.
00:53:05 I started a series yesterday.
00:53:07 Today's day two.
00:53:09 I was recently having dinner with a very successful NFL person.
00:53:14 I asked this person, "What makes a healthy NFL team?"
00:53:22 The person said to me, "Give me five things to know if your team is healthy."
00:53:30 I would suggest, it was yesterday and today, and then Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday, Monday,
00:53:41 Tuesday, Wednesday.
00:53:42 I'm sorry, it'd be four days.
00:53:45 Go listen to those five things.
00:53:48 One of them is that is the biggest concern I have.
00:53:52 I have seen Raider players who lost confidence and were just getting crushed by Raider fans.
00:53:59 I've seen it since I've been here.
00:54:03 Again, I have no problem with people being critical.
00:54:08 That's my job.
00:54:11 You can say to someone they effed up without calling them an eff up.
00:54:19 You can say to somebody, "I'm really disappointed you screwed up."
00:54:23 That's different than saying to them, "You're a screw up."
00:54:27 I just think sometimes if Raider Nation could ever ... It is so big.
00:54:31 If you could ever even get 70% of you going in one direction, this franchise would be
00:54:39 fantastic every year.
00:54:41 Now, sometimes the franchise hasn't done anything to give you a reason to cheer.
00:54:47 That's on them.
00:54:49 You got a new direction, a new coach, a coach that the majority of fans wanted, not everyone,
00:54:54 but the majority.
00:54:55 You got a new general manager.
00:54:57 Most of you wanted a general manager who had separate authority than the coach.
00:55:03 You got that, and I think that's a brilliant move.
00:55:06 I think Tom Telesco has done every single thing right this offseason.
00:55:10 We're going to find out over time, but guess what?
00:55:12 Tom Telesco is going to screw up, Antonio Pierce is going to screw up, Aiden O'Connell
00:55:17 is going to screw up, Max Crosby is going to screw up.
00:55:21 Judge it after the year.
00:55:24 That's my opinion.
00:55:25 I support Steve and Lisa, so there you go.
00:55:30 Jim Craig from the Philippines emails in, "You were just talking about Mr. Mark Davis'
00:55:36 involvement.
00:55:38 It seems to me that many feel he has a mediocre understanding of the game, game not team,
00:55:50 but I suspect he knows a lot more than we give him credit for.
00:55:54 You've never talked football with him, and if so, what is your impression?"
00:56:00 I have talked with him.
00:56:03 I think that Mark Davis, one of his strengths, and I think it's a real strength, is he knows
00:56:08 what he doesn't know, and he's very open about it.
00:56:12 Mark does not try to pull the wool over your eyes that he's his dad.
00:56:17 Now, he also doesn't remind you of the places where he's far better than his father, which
00:56:22 is as a businessman.
00:56:25 He's far better than his dad as a businessman.
00:56:29 To his credit, he tells you where he's not as good as his dad and never tells you where
00:56:34 he's better, which is what you want a son to be.
00:56:38 I think Mark knows the game.
00:56:40 I do.
00:56:42 I don't have enough information to tell you if I think he understands all of the X's and
00:56:50 O's, but I think he understands a lot of it.
00:56:54 I think he's got a really good understanding, and I could name several owners in the NFL
00:56:59 who I think probably have a significantly less understanding than him.
00:57:06 So no, I agree with you.
00:57:11 I think Mark knows more than people give him credit for.
00:57:14 This next one comes to us from Andrew B. from Alabama.
00:57:17 "Hondo, hope you're well.
00:57:20 Plenty of Mocs have Pennix going to the Raiders at 13, and plenty have him going at 44.
00:57:27 Quite the gap between those two picks.
00:57:29 Do you believe he is more likely to go as high as 11 to 13, or as low as the second
00:57:35 round, or does the truth lie somewhere in the middle?
00:57:38 Thanks."
00:57:39 Andrew from Alabama.
00:57:40 Great question.
00:57:41 Again, the people that I trust have a third-round grade on them.
00:57:46 They all love him as a man.
00:57:47 They love him as a quarterback, but it's all because of the injury history.
00:57:52 I will be stunned if he doesn't go in the first round.
00:57:56 I will be stunned.
00:57:58 It will be.
00:58:01 But I think there's too much shiny on him.
00:58:06 Somebody will take him in the first or second round.
00:58:11 I think in the first.
00:58:13 I don't see any way Pennix gets out of the second.
00:58:16 Even though, and so whatever team takes him before that, I hope he hits.
00:58:21 He's a great kid.
00:58:22 You guys would all love him.
00:58:24 Great kid.
00:58:26 But that's what my prayer and hope is for him.
00:58:28 Next, "Just wondering if you think the Raiders will try to extend lockup Patrick Graham for
00:58:34 the next few seasons.
00:58:36 As I understand it, he is on the last year of his current contract.
00:58:40 I know we could get a compensatory pick for him if he left for a head coaching position,
00:58:45 but don't think that is nearly as valuable as he is to us leading our D. Thanks, Hondo.
00:58:54 Have a wonderful day.
00:58:55 Have W."
00:58:56 Well, first of all, even if they did lock him up to a long-term deal, he is allowed
00:59:00 to go interview for head coaching jobs.
00:59:04 So if I was the Raiders, I would give him a very big deal, extension, give him security,
00:59:14 and treat him so well that he didn't want to go.
00:59:19 But most guys want to be head coaches, and if he gets that chance, he's going to take
00:59:22 it.
00:59:23 But yeah, I'd give him the big deal, just because I think you pay people who deserve
00:59:28 it.
00:59:29 Remember I told you I had a general manager who said he would look at his staff every
00:59:32 year and say to his head coach, "All right, let's look at your offensive line coach.
00:59:35 How many other people want to hire him?"
00:59:36 Well, nobody.
00:59:37 And if there's not an extenuating circumstance, then who are we going to replace him with?
00:59:41 Because he believed you want the staff everybody else wants.
00:59:45 I think you give him a big deal just to let him know how much we value and how good you
00:59:49 treat him.
00:59:50 Next comes from John H. "Hi, Hondo.
00:59:52 A Raider fan here in the beautiful country of Cumbria in the north of England, UK.
01:00:00 My question is, what would Max Crosby and the other players who are working out do when
01:00:05 they're in the facility?
01:00:07 Is it all gym work, skill work specific to position, watching film?
01:00:12 I would be fascinated if you could break down a day of training a top Raider player has
01:00:19 to do to compete at this level to make they, to me, they all seem like superhumans.
01:00:26 Can't wait for the new season to start.
01:00:29 My game pass is renewed.
01:00:33 Thanks for all the hard work and insight, John H."
01:00:36 Great one.
01:00:37 Thank you, John.
01:00:38 I hope everybody in England's doing well.
01:00:40 So let me address this first of all, because no day is the same.
01:00:44 Yes, they get in, they do gym work, although run and that kind of stuff.
01:00:48 But remember, none of it's organized by the team.
01:00:52 Now I do believe strength and conditioning coaches can be in there, but I may be wrong
01:00:56 on that.
01:00:57 But I do think that's the case.
01:00:59 But if they see a coach, it's simply a greeting.
01:01:01 "Hey, how are you?
01:01:02 I hope you're doing well.
01:01:03 How's the family?
01:01:04 Great.
01:01:05 Hey, did you go to the show last night?"
01:01:07 Whatever.
01:01:08 But there's also, they can go and they can get medical.
01:01:13 They eat there and get the food, you know, good food.
01:01:17 And they can spend time with one another.
01:01:20 There really isn't, every day is not the same.
01:01:25 Every day is different.
01:01:26 But yes, every day is going to include some facet of conditioning, weightlifting.
01:01:33 They can use the pools, whatever.
01:01:36 Medical, all that, John.
01:01:37 And I wish there was one specific way to describe a day, but that's not how it works.
01:01:45 Next one comes from Michael Brooks.
01:01:47 Question is, "Mark Davis approved both Tom and AP moving up in this year's draft to draft
01:01:52 a quarterback."
01:01:53 Yeah, I've been reporting this since the general manager interviews were going on.
01:02:01 There's full approval to go up for any player that they feel that they need.
01:02:05 I don't know why I'm getting a lot of these emails, but I am.
01:02:08 But those of you that listen all the time know I've been telling you that for months.
01:02:13 Matt A., "Will you be in the building?
01:02:18 Will you be in the building?
01:02:23 Will you get anywhere near the war room or do you play it as just wait and see and ask
01:02:30 questions after the draft to your podcast listeners?"
01:02:35 Matt, no, we'll not be in the war room.
01:02:37 Yes, absolutely in the building.
01:02:41 Talking to people all the time.
01:02:42 Last year I got some texts and I even wrote about certain picks that brought great joy
01:02:49 to the war room because I was told by people who had access to it.
01:02:54 But yes, we'll be in the building interviewing players, management, whatever.
01:03:04 But no, not in the war room.
01:03:05 The media does not go in the war room.
01:03:07 So there you go, everybody.
01:03:09 Please follow us on IG @HondoSR.
01:03:12 Please also make sure you follow us on @X, formerly known as Twitter, when you go to
01:03:15 @HondoCarpenter.
01:03:17 Go to si.com/NFL/Raider and remember Raiders.
01:03:21 And remember, if you don't want to look at me and I don't blame you, you can always listen
01:03:26 when you go to Spotify or you go to Apple and look for the Las Vegas Raiders Insider
01:03:32 Podcast with Hondo Carpenter.
01:03:34 Thanks for joining us today.
01:03:35 God bless you, everybody.
01:03:36 Appreciate you very much.