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Myron Metcalf
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Gabe Neitzel
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Myron Metcalf
This is Matt and Myron, the podcast.
Gabe Neitzel
It is Sunday Morning, ESPN Radio, ESPN App, SiriusXM channel. I'm Gabe Neitzel. I am in for Matt Jones, however, back from his vacation. Myron Metcalf on the program today. What is going on, man? How was vacant?
Myron Metcalf
It was great, man. I took two weeks off, man. I don't think I've ever done that. Just two weeks straight, you know, got away with some, some personal time, a girlfriend hung out. Then this week took my kids to Disney World. So that, that was, that was wild, man. Like Disney. The thing I learned about Disney, Gabe, is you gotta be in Disney world shape after 40, you know, like, you gotta do like Taebo. Yeah, you gotta do Taebo or something, man. Before you go do Disney World. I think I did a hundred thousand steps over. I mean, it's intense and I feel it, but good to get away, man. Glad to be back. I feel refreshed and glad to be here with you, man.
Gabe Neitzel
Well, and you, you did something else during your vacation that I was really intrigued by. You deleted all social media apps off your phone. I feel like that's inspirational. For two weeks. Just completely unplugged from the social media world for two weeks.
Myron Metcalf
Three years ago, actually, really post pandemic, I started doing it. Like, I was like, you know what, I want to get away and I don't want to have the temptation to touch my phone, you know, to be interested in whatever's going on. So if I just say I'm not going to do it, Gabe, I'll lose, right? So I just delete all the apps. I just delete every app and then it's kind of a headache to sign in again. So I just delete everything. Look at my phone. It's not there. And it's cool, man, to, to disconnect in that way. I had another though situation at Disney World. I want to know what you think about this too, Gabe. Oh, okay. So I'm walking in Disney World, my kids, and I see a guy who I'm like, you know what? He looks really familiar. Like, I know he's a football Player. Former football player. And he passes by, and I'm like, nah, maybe not. I don't know. But then, you know, my curiosity got the best of me. So I turn around, I start jogging. I didn't run. I jogged after him a little bit. Right. And I don't know the rules on that. Like, hey, man, you played college football, right? And he's like, yeah. And I'm like, boise State. He's like, yeah. So it was the guy, if you remember. I think it was the 2007. I don't remember the name of the bowl. The block. I don't know the bowl, I think it was, but he.
Gabe Neitzel
Are we talking about the Fiesta bowl? When they got in the Fiesta bowl against Oklahoma?
Myron Metcalf
The Fiesta bowl against Oklahoma. The Statue of Liberty play. Ian Johnson, right?
Gabe Neitzel
Yeah.
Myron Metcalf
The guy who scored in and then. And then he proposed to his girlfriend.
Gabe Neitzel
Correct.
Myron Metcalf
In that same sequence. Right. It was like a viral moment before things were viral. It was him, you know, so we're talking a little bit about it. He's like, hey, man, good pull. You know, like, he. He felt good being recognized. I did wonder the rules on chasing after somebody in that moment. I don't think I chased him, Gabe. I jogged. Is that. Was that allowed? Like, how do you feel?
Gabe Neitzel
I feel like that's fine. Especially. I feel like you should feel good about it because it led to a good conversation. Like, if you jogged after him and he was annoyed that he got recognized, then, you know, it feels like you're playing the result a little bit. But that's the way you got to do it. Because he was. He was excited. And good on you, by the way, because I could have remembered the name. There is zero percent. You could put five guys in front of me. I don't think I'm picking out Ian Johnson. Like, I just don't think that's.
Myron Metcalf
But that's my thing. Like, you could put a famous. Like a actor or something. I don't. I wouldn't care. But, like, the dude who did the Statue of Liberty play in the 2007 Fiesta bowl, like, that's. That's my thing, man. Like, it. It was cool. I just. I was glad it was the right guy because you don't want to jog after the wrong person and you tap someone on the shoulder and it's like, that's not me. Then that's embarrassing for everybody involved. So I'm glad that didn't happen.
Gabe Neitzel
Did you ask what I think is probably the most important question, or did you feel it would be too Personal to ask. Hey, did the marriage work out?
Myron Metcalf
So here's the thing at Disney World. Have you been to Disney World?
Gabe Neitzel
I. It has been probably about 20 years since I've been to Disney World. I was there as a teenager. Haven't been since.
Myron Metcalf
So here's the thing at Disney World, when you spend five days there, and I work for Disney, and Disney's a great company, and we get a whole bunch of perks, and I love the trip there should be relationship counseling at each park. Right. Because you just see everybody falling apart. Like, by the time you get to about 2 o' clock at Disney World, you can tell that somebody's getting a new room. Like, everybody's not sleeping in the same room with some of these groups. Right. So I felt like, based on what I witnessed, it probably wouldn't have been a good time to ask if the marriage survived. I hope it did.
Gabe Neitzel
Yeah. You know, I'm really curious. Obviously, the play works out. I want to know, all these Years later, almost 20 years later, I want to know if. If they're still together.
Myron Metcalf
That was my. That was my next question. Like, my next question was gonna be, hey, man, did it work? But I felt like that's not something you do at Disney World. People are just trying to stay alive at Disney World. Like, you got three strollers with some people, it's 92 degrees. People are going on rides for 27 hours straight. So there's a lot of people just saying, you know what? We want to go home together. You know, So I didn't know if it was the right time.
Gabe Neitzel
Yeah. No, again, it's. Plus, it's a pretty personal question that you're asking a stranger. Like, that's the thing. I don't think I would have had. I would not have had the guts to ask the question, without a doubt, but I would have gone into that conversation with every intent of asking it, and then in the moment, chickened out because it's just wildly too personal.
Myron Metcalf
Yeah. Like, are you still married, man? Like, that. I don't know. At Disney World, that could have. That could have started a fight or something. I don't know. People are just on edge a little bit by day four, so I don't want to do that.
Gabe Neitzel
Well, I'm glad you're back. I'm glad you're feeling refreshed, because there's plenty of things that we need to dive into. With preseason football in full swing, our brewers are the best team in baseball. We'll get to that in just a little bit as well. Sunday morning presented by Progressive Insurance. Cars, homes, boats, motorcycles, RVs, and more@progressive.com.
Myron Metcalf
What are we thinking about?
Gabe Neitzel
I'm trying to think, but nothing happens. Nothing happens.
Myron Metcalf
It's time to find out. This is off the top. Flash off the top with Matt Myron.
Gabe Neitzel
A lot of different debuts for a lot of the rookies that went earlier this spring in the NFL draft, but one that is going to continuously get a lot of attention. Myron is going to be Travis Hunter. Because everybody's wondering, can he do this? Can he actually, in the NFL, play both ways the way he did in college at Colorado that led to a high Heisman trophy. He played 10 snaps on offense with a couple of catches for nine yards for the Jaguars in his debut last night. Also eight snaps on defense, which also led to a missed tackle. His head coach, Liam Cohen, after the game talked about Hunter's performance. Yeah, I mean, I think he made a couple good catches on some option routes and, you know, missed the one tackle defensively that I noticed, like, that was the only things that I, you know, kind of noticed about his overall play in terms of that. I'll have to watch the tape on how he operated defensively a little bit more, but I thought offensively he made the right decisions on those option routes. Made a good catch. Almost broke out of that one where kind of Trevor put it behind him on that third down we talked about. But, you know, I have to go watch the tape a little bit more to know more. So again, Cohen seems okay, I guess, with his. With his, you know, number two overall pick going and doing what he was able to do.
Myron Metcalf
I.
Gabe Neitzel
The question here with Travis Hunter is, okay, can he play both ways? That's what everybody's wondering. People seem to think that he can. Seem to think that he can't. But I don't know if that's the right question, Myron, for this. The question becomes for him, okay? Because I think he can. I think he can play both ways, but can he actually do it well? Because if he doesn't do it well and you're just doing it to do it, that's not good for anybody.
Myron Metcalf
No, he has to be good. I mean, the weird thing is that people are saying, can he. Can he achieve that? Like, he can do it, but I think a lot of players could do it. I think there are a lot of players throughout the NFL who could play both ways. If you told them they had to, like, athletically, that's not a crazy idea. You don't think Tyree Kill could play cornerback if they absolutely needed him to. So that, that's a weird conversation. Your point? And I agree with, like, can he be good? Can he make an impact on both sides of the ball? I'm going to play a little conspiracy theorist though, after hearing that Liam Cohen sound. Can I do that, please? Is that allowed on this show?
Gabe Neitzel
I mean, this is your show. I'm just a guest. If you want to be getting into conspiracy theories, I am like, I'm not going to stop you from going there.
Myron Metcalf
It's our show. Right? So here's the thing. I think Liam Cohen, in that response right there that we just heard, is already planting the seeds for Travis Hunter to be a wide receiver. I don't think that they drafted him to be a two way guy full time the way that he wants to be. I think that's a lie. I, I think they were always going to give him the opportunity, especially in the preseason. But once you get into the season, there has to be a decision that's made about how Travis Hunter can help you win games. And for me, if I'm a defensive coordinator with the Jags right now and I hear Liam Cohen say, well, the only thing I noticed was that he missed a tackle on defense. And that's the one thing that stood out there. If I'm the defensive quarter, I'm like, hey man, you know, don't, don't knock my guy after game one. Like, like, let him live a little bit. But I think the Jags are ultimately going to make him a wide receiver because that's where I think he helps them the most. Trevor Lawrence, in a pivotal year needs Travis Hunter to be a great wide receiver. I think more than the Jags need him to be a great cornerback. I think by the end of this preseason, we're going to see, we're going to feel like Travis, Travis Hunter is going to be a full time wide receiver.
Gabe Neitzel
Triple H, say ESPN 888-729-3776. If you want to join this conversation again, it's not, can Travis Hunter play both ways? Can he play both ways? Well? And coming up next, we're going to hear some sound from a pretty good wide receiver who is questioning whether or not Travis Hunter can actually pull this off. Plus, we want to hear from you. It's Sunday morning. I'm Gabe Neitzel in for Matt Jones along with Myron Metcalf on ESPN Radio and the ESPN app.
Myron Metcalf
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Myron Metcalf
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Gabe Neitzel
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Gabe Neitzel
See details online. Sunday morning on ESPN Radio ESPN app SiriusXM channel 80 I'm Gabe Neitzel in for Matt, hanging out with Myron Metcalf. Travis Hunter making his debut and the question we're asking you can join the conversation triple h say ESPN 888-729-3776 can Travis Hunter do this but play well on both sides? Because again, athletically I think he's proven that he can do that. But physically there is just a toll that goes with playing those positions, particularly cornerback and trying to, you know, step up and have to tackle guys like, I don't know, Derrick Henry. That seems like it takes a toll on much larger bodies than Travis Hunter. And that's what demonte Adams was talking about on the Pivot podcast. Now a Rams wide receiver, Devonte was asked, hey, do you think Travis Hunter can Play both ways.
Myron Metcalf
I don't even think it's possible to do for real, not at a high level and then go in there. It's hard enough to go cover a punt and then, and then be on, you know, one side, you know, and I didn't, I haven't done it. I'm not acting like I'm on kickoff or a punt, but I see the dudes and I know, you know, you, you got your guys and you see the yardage of my yardage over the, over the game versus somebody that starts on offense and then plays special teams as well. Like that's just a lot of mileage, man. And I don't know how long. I'm not even concerned so much if he can do it over the course of a game or season. It's more like how long is his career going to be if, if he's playing that many snaps? Because you just, all you're doing is doubling your risk for injury.
Gabe Neitzel
1.
Myron Metcalf
And I don't wish any of that on him. I hope that he can play an injury free season and go ball out. But I mean, this is the reality. The more you on the field, the. Yeah, I mean it's already 100% injury guarantee. Yeah. You know, once you get out there playing both sides and now you got to tackle, you got to, you got to tackle. Derrick Henry.
Gabe Neitzel
When somebody like Devonte Adams is saying this, Myron, it makes me feel much better of, okay. Devonte Adams has done this at an incredibly high multiple time all pro wide receiver. Talking about the energy he has to consume just playing wide receiver and then having to turn around and do it on the defensive side. Plus, we know with injuries, the more fatigued you are, the more likely the injury becomes. And it's not like I don't want to do it. If he can do this, that would be. I don't know if we could talk about it enough. If he could actually play both sides, but play both sides well and do it throughout the course of an entire season. We've never seen anything like that in the modern NFL. It just becomes, okay, can he actually do this? And is it in the Jags best interest for him to try to pull this off?
Myron Metcalf
Yeah, I think that's probably the most important question. Right. Like, no one's told me how this helps Jacksonville.
Gabe Neitzel
Right.
Myron Metcalf
If he is fatigued going into the second half of a game because he's trying to play both positions, how does that help? And I think devonte Adams brings up great point. They're not paying him for Two positions, they're paying them for one essentially right now. If he can do this successfully, he gets to his first big payday and they got to give him a ton of money for doing both. Fine. But I just think it's so hard to play any position in today's NFL successfully, especially for a rookie. I just don't think it'll last. I'll give it week four because here's the other thing, Gabe. The first time he hurts himself, and I'm not talking about a major injury, a minor injury, tweaks an ankle, hurts a shoulder, the first time that that happens, he's done with this. Because you're going to have to make a decision if you're the Jags about who you want Travis Hunter to be like. I think this is something that is more of a great concept than an actual thing that he'll be able to do.
Gabe Neitzel
Yeah. And I've always thought that it makes most sense for him. I mean, this to me would have been no matter what team he went to and trying to help. And Trevor Lawrence, it's a huge year for him. They have now an offensive minded head coach with Liam Cohen. It always made the most sense for me for Travis Hunter to eventually go, all right, I'm just going to play wide receiver. Because you look at the wide receiver money, it is a lot more than cornerback money. And that's, I'm assuming as a player, you look and go, well, that position on corner, they get injured more, they get paid less, and I'll just go on the offensive side of things and try to make 40 plus million dollars the way that Jamar Chase did this past offse like that. That's the logical end of how this all plays out in my mind.
Myron Metcalf
And I think devonte Adams is kind of planting the seeds for that. Right. I mean, that's a OG kind of mentor type conversation where he's like, listen, it's not worth it. You know, like Devonte Adams is very rich because he's been good at one position over the course of his career. And Travis Hunter can't get those miles back again preseason. I think they'll let him do it. But until you can show me that he can be good on both sides of the ball, they're going to have to pick. And I'll tell you this, Trevor Lawrence is going to pick because at the end of the day, if I'm Trevor Lawrence and Travis Hunter can help him on offense, Travis Hunter and I mean Trevor Lawrence is going to go to Liam Cohen and say, I need him on this side of the ball and that will be the end of the conversation no matter what anybody thinks. Liam Cohen is an offensive guru, a quarterback guru. I do not think he drafted Travis Hunter to be a 5050 offense and defense guy. I think this is a bit of a preseason charade that won't spill over into the real season.
Gabe Neitzel
Do you think they'll eventually make the decision for him or is he going to have to go, hey, this experiments over. I'm playing whatever side he ultimately decides.
Myron Metcalf
I'm telling you, Gabe, you can call me conspiracy theorist. I think Liam Cohen is already planting the seeds for making that decision and making him an offensive guy. Like, they're going to make the decision. And I think they've already made the decision. They just want to see how far this can go, right? Can they use him on certain defensive packages and maybe help this team win? But he's going to be a wide receiver, and I've said that from the beginning. He will be a wide receiver for the Jacks.
Gabe Neitzel
Triple H, say ESPN 888-729-3776 is how you join the conversation. It's not. Can Travis Hunter play both ways? Can he play both sides of the football and do it well? Let's go out to Lord Jotro in Virginia. You're up. It's Sunday morning on espn.
Myron Metcalf
Good morning, guys. I actually think, like he was just saying he should start every game on the offensive side of the ball as a receiver. Well, I think it should be a game by game basis, so to speak. Some games you start off at receiver. Every game you start off at receiver, but depending on what the defense means or depending on how the offense for the other team is chopping their defense up, then you play them as a corner, you play them as a safety over the top, you know, game by game basis. And then if it turns out well, then you leave them in on defense and you just, you know, sit them down for the offensive side of the ball to prevent him from wind up getting injured. That's my chance, you know, that's my point of view.
Gabe Neitzel
Look, I think that especially when you hit the NFL, continuity is something that everybody preaches and loves to have. And it's not always. You're not always going to have the continuity because the physical nature of the league, you're going to have injuries, guys sliding in. But if you want the chemistry between him and it's not just him and Trevor Lawrence, it's how all the routes work together and how everybody works in concert to execute those Just floating on both sides. Even on the defensive side, you know, the safety wants to know, hey, my corner is always going to be here. And if he's just kind of floating in and out, that's. You're not going to be able to achieve the continuity that we hear these teams consistently talking about.
Myron Metcalf
But I think you hit it, Gabe, like, at the end of the end of the day, like, we're seeing the product on the field. We're not seeing the practices and the meetings and all the other things that come with trying to be a young player in the NFL. It's hard enough to play one spot or to try to play one spot. Now you're talking about how do you go back and forth between the meetings? The one thing I know about NFL defensive units, right, is they are almost, you know, cultish in the way that they stick together and believe in their principles and how they operate, really separate from anything that happens on the offensive side. Anthony Campanelli, who's the Jags new defensive coordinator, is not going to let you toy with his defense and the idea that maybe Travis Hunter's available, maybe he's not. The first time that Liam Cohen comes to Anthony Campanelli and says, listen, this Sunday, I might use Travis Hunter. I might let you use him. I may not. The minute that tug of war happens and you know Gabe is going to happen, you know it's going to happen between those two units, that's when the experiment is over. Because if you're Anthony Campanelli, you can't afford to not know how often Travis Hunter is going to be available for you on that side of the ball. It is a great idea. I do not think you can execute it in today's NFL.
Gabe Neitzel
I don't want to diminish offensive line play with what I'm about to say, but when you're an offensive lineman, it's pretty standard, right? You're, oh, I'm the left guard. This is what I have to do on pass plays, on run plays. When you're a wide receiver, you're moving different positions. You might be in the slot, you might be outside left, right? Same thing with cornerbacks. You're moving all over the field. It's not like being a pass rusher and go, oh, I set the edge and now I get after. So you have to learn so much at the two positions. He's trying to tackle. Like, the mental side of this also, I think is great that you have brought that up, Myron. Coming up next, we're going to take more More of your calls. Plus Travis Hunter's old Colorado teammate made his debut Friday night. We talk about that next Sunday morning on ESPN Radio.
Myron Metcalf
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Gabe Neitzel
No, I need a vacation. See the movie that critics are saying.
Myron Metcalf
Is an awesome look at that crowd pleasing fist pumping all out brawl of a film. Right about that. They're coming after our family. Go fix this. Oh my. Nobody 2 rated R only in theaters Friday.
Gabe Neitzel
Along with my red Metcalf. I'm Gabe Neitzel. It's Sunday morning on ESPN Radio. ESPN app SiriusXM Channel 80 Sunday morning presented by Progressive Insurance, talking about a couple of old Colorado guys, Travis Hunter. Shador Sanders made his NFL debut, but we're focusing right now with your calls. Triple H say ESPN on Travis Hunter. Again, not the question of can he play both ways because I think the answer to that is yes. But the really the only thing that matters is can you do it? Well because if you, if you're doing it just to do it, it becomes a sideshow act and it's not actually going to be helpful if we're the Jacksonville Jaguars. Triple H say esp espn. Let's go to Dan in Idaho. Dan, you're on ESPN Radio.
Myron Metcalf
Good morning fellows. Thanks for having me. The one thing I got to say is you've got Deion Sanders is probably the one that I remember the most doing it and doing it well. But again, he only played correctly. It's been a few years, but I think like 10 plays a game on offense he didn't play like every wide receiver snap and every defensive snap. So the other side, if Travis Hunter is going to be the receiver, is he better than the top three defensive backs? So is he just going to go in on a nickel package? Because when they need a fourth guy or every snap right now he's already better than the every other guy they have. So you just put him on, you know, the other team's best guy. But I don't see it. I mean there's no way as you guys brought it up there's just too much in the NFL. So no continuity, just fatigue. There's just no way that some player can play every snap both sides of the ball, like high school and college.
Gabe Neitzel
And I also feel, Myron, that. And maybe I'm wrong about this, but I also feel like the NFL has gotten a little more complicated since 1996. Like, I feel like it's evolved over the last 30 years because that's really the only year where Deion did a lot of what he was just talking about. It seemed like they had special packages for Deion, whether he was in Atlanta, San Fran, Dallas, because he was that special of an athlete, but he almost had 500 yards receiving in 96. So it seemed like he was playing a little bit more wide receiver. Again, not on a full time basis, but, you know, sometimes that's because of injury. I think of Troy Brown in the early 2000s with the Patriots, who they had a ton of injuries and then all of a sudden he had to play cornerback because of the injuries that they had. Guys can do it, but I don't think again, the doing it well is the tough part of this.
Myron Metcalf
Yeah, let's be clear about when we talk about Deion as a two way guy, we gotta be honest and accurate about that. He had 60 career receptions in his NFL career. 36 were in that 1996 season with the Dallas Cowboys, where they did use him in certain situations. But. But DM was not a two way player. He was a guy who literally had a couple of targets every year and then he had that one weird season in 96. Also, I don't know that we can compare Travis Hunter to a guy who was regarded as the. One of the greatest cornerbacks of all time, one of the greatest athletes of all time in NFL history. So I think to your point, in this modern NFL, it's very difficult, the wear and tear. Dion wasn't playing 17 games. We got to factor that into this as well. This is the longest NFL season we've ever had. So now you're asking Travis Hunter to be ready for that. And I just think it doesn't help anyone ultimately for Travis Hunter to have the wear and tear and to potentially not be effective at either position as a result.
Gabe Neitzel
Triple H say espn. David in Alabama, you're up next at Sunday morning on ESPN Radio.
Myron Metcalf
Good morning, gentlemen. The reason why I'm going to tell you and all of America today I believe in Travis Hunter is because if he can play both ways, I know he can. Because my ex wife, she was able to Play me and my and her boyfriend the same time in the same week. Yeah. All right. Okay. All right, all right, all right. I don't know what that was. I don't know what.
Gabe Neitzel
That seemed like an unnecessary shot.
Myron Metcalf
Listen, man, this is not. This is. This is. This is not. Maury. I mean, this is. This is Sunday morning, not Sunday Maury. This is, you know, like, you know, leave that personal stuff. Take that to somebody else. Right. We're not experts on.
Gabe Neitzel
No.
Myron Metcalf
Whatever he was talking about.
Gabe Neitzel
No, just. Not even.
Myron Metcalf
Just want to point out he didn't say any of those things to me whenever I screamed. Oh, I'm sure. I'm sure he didn't. Yeah. He just wanted someone to. He wanted to vent. So. So, yeah, I don't know where he was going with that.
Gabe Neitzel
He knew what he was doing, certainly. Yeah. He was just.
Myron Metcalf
We had to cut it off. I'm glad we cut it off because, like, that was about to be a whole thing that. That wouldn't have been good for anybody involved.
Gabe Neitzel
No. No, it would not have. So, again, when it comes to Travis Hunter, like, do I hope that he can do it? Yeah. Because that means Travis Hunter would be a generational athlete doing something we've never seen before, which I think would be really cool. But also I. Based on really good athletes who already exist in the NFL and the opinions they're sharing on, seems like it's going to be an uphill battle for Travis Hunter, but it's certainly something we're going to keep an eye on for the rest of the preseason and see how long into the regular season he can go. Somebody else battling in the preseason, Myron, his former Buffalo teammates in. Shadour Sanders, who was really good, shine. Everybody was excited to see him, ended up being the starter for the Browns because of some injuries, threw for 138 yards, two touchdowns, and just under three quarters of play. He entered the game as QB4. On the depth chart, they're not playing Joe Flacco in preseason because he's been in the league forever. And then hamstring injuries to Kenny Pickett and Dylan Gabriel meant that Shador got this opportunity. And the question becomes, for. For Cleveland, is that performance good enough to have Shador start climbing up the depth chart? Because they've got some things they need to figure out because you're not going to be able to keep four quarterbacks on your roster.
Myron Metcalf
Yeah, I mean, I think everything's fair game with the Cleveland Browns depth chart. Right. I mean, Joe Flacco was on the couch a year ago and now he's QB1. You draft a couple of guys and Dylan Gabriel, Shador Sanders, obviously Kenny Pickett, but it's not like this is some insurmountable hierarchy in Cleveland. So of course he can be in the mix. I also think, though, we are very guilty historically as NFL fans of seeing a preseason performance and saying that's the next Montana. And then a guy doesn't even make the roster. Like how many times, Gabe, in our history as NFL fans have we seen a preseason performance and we said that's the missing piece and then that dude is nothing over the course of the next two years in the league. So I think it was a good start, but I'm not on this. Shador is on his way to being an NFL starter and a good NFL starter. I'm not on that bandwagon at this.
Gabe Neitzel
Point, but I would think you would have to move them up on that depth. Charlie, you said it's it. It's not going to take much potentially to move up that depth chart. But it just becomes a sheer numbers game. Okay. We know they're going to keep Flacco. It seems like Joe's going to be their starter. He took them to the playoffs a couple of years ago and they're probably going, all right. We think our roster is good enough to be playoff competitive. Joe Flacco is the best way to do that because he did it for us just a couple of seasons ago. Then you have Kenny Pickett, who certainly has experience. Dylan Gabriel was drafted ahead of Shador, but I mean, it seems like Pickett would almost have to be the odd man out because you can't carry four quarterbacks on a 53 man roster. Some teams carry as little as two quarterbacks on the 53 man roster and then stash away somebody they want to develop. You put any one of these guys or try to put them on the practice squad and they have to go through waivers first. This is a quarterback needy league. Somebody's going to look at one of them and go, oh, Dylan Gabriel, he was a third round pick. Why don't we pluck him and put him on our 53, try to develop him? Same thing with Shador. Kenny Pickett's played enough where he would be a good backup quarterback option in a number of different spots in the NFL. So Cleveland, despite not having a stud at quarterback, has a lot of options that teams would probably want as a backup quarterback or developmental option.
Myron Metcalf
Yeah, I mean, you still have the emergency quarterback situation, right?
Gabe Neitzel
So.
Myron Metcalf
So they have some flexibility But I, but I. We also have to remember that Shadir Sanders was drafted as a fifth round pick, which means every team in the NFL went through four rounds of the draft and said no to, to Shador, sentence, whatever you want to call it, the politics, whatever you want to say was the factor. They didn't believe he could be an NFL quarterback because you don't draft guys in the fifth round assuming that they're going to be a part of your rotation. This is obviously a good start for Shadura Sanders. I, like I said, the Cleveland rotation isn't insurmountable. He could certainly be in the mix. But I am going to pause on this idea that you show out in the preseason and suddenly that means you're going to be great. Do people actually believe that defensive coordinators are showing all their stuff, all of their packages, all of their defensive fronts in the preseason? Do you think you were seeing all the blitz packages and all the real things Shadora Sanders is going to see in an NFL season? You think we saw it over the past weekend? Come on. I think people need to relax. Give them credit for a good start as a rookie in the preseason and let's go from here. But if he is great, I'll be the first one to say, you know what, I was wrong. And I think it's okay for Shadow to gloat and to say, I told you so. He deserves that if he proves everybody wrong.
Gabe Neitzel
Yeah, that's that. And again, Cleveland, just so many quarterbacks, they have to figure that out over the course of the next couple of weeks and the next couple of preseason games. Myron's a Milwaukee guy, I'm a Milwaukee guy. And our brewers are the best team in baseball. We also might be the center of the sports universe right now in Milwaukee. We dive into that. It's next Sunday morning. ESPN Radio and espn.
Myron Metcalf
Matt and Myron, the podcast.
Gabe Neitzel
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Gabe Neitzel
And here's a fly ball, left center field back trick gone. William Contreras. A two run blast and this place is up for grabs seven to four. Milwaukee Lane. Grindel on the call. 620W TMJ. Brewers win a again. Brewers win again. And the fun part about that was that came on a pitch, the previous one Contreras flew out to right field. However, the umpire came out, said, nope, pitch doesn't count. It was after the pitch clock had expired. Very next pitch he hits out of the ballpark. Brewers defeat the Mets here in Milwaukee last night at Sunday morning. ESPN Radio, ESPN app SiriusXM Channel 80 Sunday morning presented by Progressive Insurance. I'm Gabe Neitzel in for Matt Jones along with Myron Metcalf. I am in Milwauke live in Milwaukee. Myron, born and raised here in Milwaukee.
Myron Metcalf
Yeah.
Gabe Neitzel
And it kind of seems like our town is the center of the sports universe. We just heard the highlight there. The brewers, they're not just the best team in baseball, Myron, they're the best team in baseball by four and a half games. Like the team with the next best record is only within four and a half games of the Milwaukee Brewers. We've got a very young, exciting wide receiver that everybody seems to love in Matthew Cole Golden. Everybody's wondering what's happening with Giannis, Wisconsin and Milwaukee. It's just the center of it all right now.
Myron Metcalf
You know what? And it should be, right? It definitely should be at this point. And anyone who has a problem with that doesn't understand what it's like to grow up, I think, in Milwaukee and to see some of the tough brewers years and the tough Bucs years and to see some of those packers teams that couldn't get off the ground. Right. So I think it's a cool moment. Now, I will say, Gabe, to know that some high school sophomore is like, my whole life has been the Bucks being great and the brewers now on top of baseball and the packers having a Super bowl, like, I'm jealous of that kid. Like, I'm jealous that their experience is different than mine. Right? So there's that element. But I do think Milwaukee is on top of the sports world right now. For a team to potentially over the last 15 years, to have a Super bowl, to have an NBA title and potentially a World Series, that to me would be one of the great achievements in sports for a non for a small to mid market sports town. I think Milwaukee is the best mid market, small market, small sports town, whatever you want to call it in America. And I think people are seeing that right now.
Gabe Neitzel
Triple H say ESPN 888-729-3776 if you want to dispute to Myron's claim because I'm going to back him like we're. I'm two feet right. There's nothing better Milwaukee, I mean Milwaukee is the best small mid market, whatever you want to call it sports town in America. You heard that crowd last night in the highlight. The AM fan field is selling out on a regular basis. Fiser form. It helps when you Giannis have of course consistently selling out Packers. We know Lambeau Field. There's a long wait list to get season tickets that sold out each and every game. People here want to support these teams and they get behind those teams and that's what makes it incredibly fun. I saw a video on social media yesterday. Like again, Anfan field was so packed last night, people couldn't get out of the parking lot. It was like an hour after the game and people are still just trying to get out because there's just so many people jamming in to watch the brewers play baseball.
Myron Metcalf
And nobody deserves it more. You know, I mean we tell a lot of these romantic stories about Kansas City. I love to watch Kansas City and everything that they've had over the last decade with the Super Bowls and the World Series. That's a cool sports town. You know, it was cool to see them win. It's. It's cool to see the non New York, Louisiana, Chicago's of the world get a shot. And I think Milwaukee's in that conversation. So it's not just a great sports town. It's a great story story when you consider kind of what's happening in that town right now. And if the brewers win the World Series, as great as the Bucks run was a couple years ago, as great as obviously a Super bowl is, I think the World Series would stand out as sort of the lifetime achievement for Wisconsin sports fans if they pulled that off.
Gabe Neitzel
I worry about the city that I love and live in. If the brewers win a World Series, the place is going to be up for grabs. It is going to be absolutely insane. I cannot imagine what would happen if the brewers won a World Series.
Myron Metcalf
They're going to be in cops serving themselves custard and throwing burgers out to people in the parking lot. It's going to get crazy. It's going to get crazy. It will get crazy.
Gabe Neitzel
And again, the brewers are mostly a no name team getting this done. They now have the best run differential in baseball. Mentioned the Dodgers are the team that is closest to them in terms of being four and a half games back for the best record in all of baseball. So even though all these things the brewers are doing because they don't have name recognition, people are wondering if this is real Buster Only ESPN Baseball Insider oh, Slow host of the Baseball Tonight podcast was on Hammer and Emmett and answered the question, are the brewers the best team in baseball?
Myron Metcalf
They might be. Look, I think it would be appropriate to look at the brewers as the.
Gabe Neitzel
Tortoise in the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. Like there's nothing spectacular about this team.
Myron Metcalf
It's not a team of loaded stars. Christian Yelich was an MVP four or five years ago and then he got.
Gabe Neitzel
A bunch of injuries. But it is a team that, as one general manager said to me yesterday.
Myron Metcalf
They don't play bad games like they.
Gabe Neitzel
Always are in games every day because.
Myron Metcalf
They do so many things well. They went into play yesterday fourth in.
Gabe Neitzel
The big leagues in pitching era.
Myron Metcalf
They have a deep bullpen, they play great defense.
Gabe Neitzel
They're one of the three best teams according to the defensive metrics. They run the bases, by far the.
Myron Metcalf
Best in the big leagues.
Gabe Neitzel
They went into that game last night eight guys in double digits with stolen bases. They make you uncomfortable if you're an opposing catcher, you're an opposing pitcher and you just won this year. If a well rounded team like that is going to be the team that.
Myron Metcalf
Comes out of the playoffs.
Gabe Neitzel
And this is where I still hold a grudge against Rob Manfred because he called the World Series trophy just a piece of metal a number of years back. And I think he has said and done some things that have made me upset as a baseball fan. But here's where I have to give him credit because with some of the rule changes that they've made, they've made baseball fun again for teams like the Brewers. It was trending in a direction, Myron, where free true outcomes. You're either hitting home runs, walking or striking out. And you need to have sluggers up and down the lineup. This is the only way to win baseball games. When they made the pitch clock and the bases to try to inject some athleticism back into the game, it opened up different ways to win and play. You can still have the three true outcomes team and hit a bunch of balls out of the ballpark. But what the brewers are doing is showing, hey, if you have a bunch of athletes and you can put do all the things that Buster was just saying and make teams uncomfortable, put pressure on them once you get on base, that's another way you can now win in baseball. And having different styles in any sport, that's what makes it fun. When all the games kind of end up looking the same, you can kind of tune in and tune out and kind of lose track. But when you have all these different styles, that's what can make games fun and exciting.
Myron Metcalf
Yeah, I think a lot of people too were concerned at just the concentration of talent that was going to a couple of teams. Like when you see a Juan Soto get 700 million and a Shohei Ohtani gets 700 million, 600, 700 million. Like it makes you feel like if you're not in LA or New York, you don't really have a chance ultimately. So I don't know how anybody could root against Milwaukee. Right. How could you root for LA or New York or some of those other teams over the Milwaukee brewers, the Monkey brewers are what's good about sports. Sports that you can still compete despite a lot of the economic forces being against you because you're not going to have an Aaron Judge, you can't afford it, you can't go get a wine soda or a Shohei. Oh, Tiny. They're not coming to Milwaukee. So to be in first place, to be the best team in baseball right now without some of those big time eight figure stars, I think everybody should be rooting for the Milwaukee brewers right now.
Gabe Neitzel
But Milwaukee being the center of the sports universe, not just about the brewers, even though right now it is because they are the best team in baseball. The packers have quite possibly one of the best rookie wide receivers. Now we got to wait and see, but it seems like everybody is singing his praises. Had a couple of catches in the packers preseason loss to the jets last night. But Jordan Love on the this Is Football podcast, he was talking about what stands out about his new rookie wide receiver in Matthew Golden.
Myron Metcalf
Man. I think he's showing up since day one and, and just really showing his playstyle, you know, showing what he's all about. I think he's, he came in really polished and has been making plays since day one. He's got very aggressive hands, he's a smooth route runner, he's got speed. So I think for him it's just continue to understand the playbook and wrap his head around everything that we have in because we have a very deep system. But when you can see, when he knows what he's doing, he's feeling confident. He's been playing lights out. So he's gonna be a stud.
Gabe Neitzel
And if he does become a stud, that could take the packers offense to the next level and take them from a team that's been the seventh seed the last couple of years and, and get them closer to those teams at top, like Detroit, like the Philadelphia Eagles.
Myron Metcalf
Matt LaFleur needs him to be good. Right. Because I think we're going into a year where if you tell me that the packers don't go above that seven seed territory like you talked about, if you tell me that they don't rise to their ceiling, which we know how high that can be, well, do they have the right guy on the sidelines? So I think this is a big year for guys like Matthew golden to play to their ceiling, for Jordan Love to play to his ceiling to prove that Matt LaFleur should be the guy long term in Green Bay.
Gabe Neitzel
Well, you mentioned Matt LaFleur and it's something that we've certainly talked about locally on the show. I do locally on ESPN Milwaukee. But it's worth noting the packers had a change in presidents, which is their de facto owner since they don't have a real one. And Ed Policy, who is their new president, said of La Flower Flor and their general manager, Brian Guta Kunst, I'm not renewing their contracts. I don't like having lame ducks. They've got two years left. I'm not renewing their contracts right now. So I think there is a little bit of pressure on Matt LaFleur this year. J.J. mcCarthy, he's got pressure on him. Made his much anticipated debut yesterday. We dive into that next. It's Sunday morning on ESPN Radio.
Myron Metcalf
Matt and Myron the Pod.
Gabe Neitzel
You've seen the headlines, heard the debates. The three point ball has created a monotonous rhythm to the game.
Myron Metcalf
Has the three pointer ruined basketball?
Gabe Neitzel
And how did we get here?
Myron Metcalf
The rise of the three point shot can be partially traced to an eccentric Kansas genius named Martin Manley, whose story.
Gabe Neitzel
Didn'T turn out quite the way he imagined. I decided I wanted to have one of the most organized goodbyes in history. 30 for 30 podcast presents Chasing Basketball Heaven.
Myron Metcalf
Available now wherever you get your podcasts.
Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron: Episode Summary – "Hour 1: Milwaukee Talk!"
Release Date: August 10, 2025
In the premiere episode of "Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron," hosts Myron Metcalf and Gabe Neitzel (filling in for Matt Jones) delve into a blend of personal anecdotes, national NFL discussions, and a deep dive into Milwaukee's vibrant sports scene. This comprehensive summary captures the essence of their engaging conversation, punctuated with notable quotes and insights.
The episode kicks off with a warm welcome as Gabe Neitzel introduces himself, standing in for Matt Jones who has just returned from vacation.
Myron Metcalf shares his recent two-week hiatus, highlighting quality time spent with his girlfriend and a memorable trip to Disney World with his children. Reflecting on his time offline, Myron emphasizes the importance of disconnecting from social media:
Myron Metcalf (00:34): "I just delete all the apps... to disconnect in that way."
A memorable moment from his Disney trip involves an unexpected encounter with former football player Ian Johnson. Myron narrates jogging after Johnson, hoping to reconnect and reminisce about past glories.
A significant portion of the discussion centers on Travis Hunter, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ highly-touted rookie who is attempting to play both wide receiver and cornerback—an ambitious endeavor reminiscent of legendary two-way players.
Gabe Neitzel raises the central question:
Gabe Neitzel (07:13): "Can Travis Hunter play both ways? Can he actually do it?"
Myron Metcalf offers a critical analysis, expressing skepticism about the feasibility of Hunter maintaining high performance on both sides of the ball:
Myron Metcalf (09:02): "I think Liam Cohen is already planting the seeds for Travis Hunter to be a wide receiver. I don’t think that’s the way they drafted him."
He highlights concerns about player fatigue and the increased risk of injury, citing Devonte Adams’ perspective on the toll multi-role players face:
Myron Metcalf (13:59): "He can't be effective at either position as a result."
The hosts predict that while Hunter's athleticism allows for the possibility, the Jaguars might ultimately prioritize his role on offense to maximize team performance and his career longevity.
Throughout the episode, Myron and Gabe invite listeners to contribute their thoughts via phone calls, fostering an interactive atmosphere.
Listener Lord Jotro from Virginia (19:32) suggests a strategic approach to utilizing Hunter, advocating for a game-by-game basis deployment to assess his effectiveness and manage fatigue.
Lord Jotro: "Play them as a corner... on a game by game basis."
Listener Dan from Idaho (24:41) echoes similar sentiments, reinforcing doubts about the practicality of sustaining a dual-role player in the modern NFL:
Dan: "There's no continuity... too much mileage."
These interactions underscore the community's investment in Hunter's career and the broader implications for NFL strategies.
Shifting focus to the Cleveland Browns, the hosts discuss the emergence of Shador Sanders, the team's fifth-round quarterback who made a notable preseason debut. Gabe Neitzel assesses Sanders' potential to climb the depth chart amid a crowded roster.
Myron Metcalf cautions against overestimating preseason performances, emphasizing the competitive and unpredictable nature of NFL careers:
Myron Metcalf (31:02): "Let's go from here. But if he is great, I'll be the first one to say, you know what, I was wrong."
The conversation highlights the challenges Sanders faces in securing a stable position, considering the Browns' existing quarterback options and the dynamic nature of NFL team compositions.
A central theme of the episode celebrates Milwaukee's dominance in the sports arena, particularly focusing on the Brewers' outstanding performance and the Packers' promising rookie wide receiver, Matthew Cole Golden.
Gabe Neitzel passionately declares the Brewers as the premier team in baseball:
Gabe Neitzel (36:01): "Milwaukee is the best small mid-market sports town in America."
Myron Metcalf echoes this sentiment, highlighting Milwaukee's resilience and competitive spirit:
Myron Metcalf (37:44): "Milwaukee is on top of the sports world right now."
The discussion transitions to the Packers, where Matthew Cole Golden's impressive preseason performance is lauded. Myron Metcalf praises Golden's skills and potential impact on the Packers' offense:
Myron Metcalf (43:40): "He's got very aggressive hands, he's a smooth route runner, he's got speed."
Gabe Neitzel notes the strategic importance of Golden and quarterback Jordan Love's synergy under pressure from the Packers’ new leadership:
Gabe Neitzel (44:20): "Matt LaFleur needs him to be good... to prove that Matt LaFleur should be the guy long term in Green Bay."
This segment underscores Milwaukee's thriving sports culture and the exciting prospects for local teams and athletes.
As the episode nears its end, the hosts wrap up by reiterating Milwaukee's central role in the sports landscape and teasing upcoming content for future episodes. They reflect on the Brewers' strategic gameplay and the varied athleticism that keeps Milwaukee fans passionately engaged.
Myron Metcalf envisions a triumphant future for the Brewers:
Myron Metcalf (40:34): "If the brewers win the World Series... that would stand out as the lifetime achievement for Wisconsin sports fans."
Gabe Neitzel underscores the Brewers' balanced team dynamics and strategic advantages:
Gabe Neitzel (40:53): "They have a deep bullpen, they play great defense... they make teams uncomfortable."
The episode concludes with lively commentary on the Brewers' game highlights and an enthusiastic endorsement of Milwaukee as a powerhouse in the sports world.
Key Takeaways:
Travis Hunter's Role: While Hunter's athletic prowess is undeniable, sustaining a dual-role position in the NFL remains questionable due to potential fatigue and injury risks.
Cleveland Browns' QB Depth: Shador Sanders shows promise but faces stiff competition in a crowded quarterback roster, emphasizing the unpredictability of NFL careers.
Milwaukee's Sports Dominance: The Milwaukee Brewers' exceptional performance positions them as the top team in baseball, while the Packers' rookie wide receiver Matthew Cole Golden offers exciting prospects for future seasons.
Community Engagement: Listener interactions provide diverse perspectives, enriching the hosts' discussions and reflecting a deeply invested sports community.
This inaugural episode sets a high standard for "Sunday Mornings with Matt and Myron," blending personal narratives with insightful sports analysis, all while celebrating Milwaukee's spirited sports culture.