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Bobby Bones
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Bobby Bones
Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle is a production of the NFL and iHeart podcasts.
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We got lots to say, we got lots to say.
Matt Castle
We're glad you're here and we hope.
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You stay cause we got lots to say. Yeah we got lots to say.
Bobby Bones
Now here's Bobby and that hey, welcome to another week. And what's exciting is we actually have football. Not quite real football, but for the first time we get to talk about football because people may not know and you may not care. It's been very difficult for us. Yeah. You should listen to our. Our sob story. We started with, like, two weeks left of football. We've been grinding through non football for, like, three months.
Matt Castle
Seriously. I feel like when we started, it was just getting to playoffs, which was not bad. But then the super bowl ended, and then it was all the offseason minutiae.
Bobby Bones
We're just looking for stuff to talk about.
Matt Castle
Can we please give it. Give us something. Somebody get arrested. Somebody gets any. Anything to happen that we can talk about.
Bobby Bones
Top 115 football movies. Go. So we're not doing that anymore, but I did mention because I don't wear shoes whenever we do. Really, any show. And so I'm always checking with Brandon, like, are my feet.
Matt Castle
Yeah.
Bobby Bones
Don't let the dogs in the shot.
Matt Castle
Don't let the dogs bark.
Bobby Bones
And he's like, they're not in the shot. And then you go, what's it on your foot? And it's. It's. It's a callus from all the work I do.
Matt Castle
All the work. Right. It's hard work.
Bobby Bones
And you said you get it from walking on the beach. I don't like the beach. I'm not a beach guy at all.
Matt Castle
How do you not like the beach? The beach is majestic. The water, the waves.
Bobby Bones
I grew up around a beach.
Matt Castle
I did grow up around a beach.
Bobby Bones
I grew up in Arkansas.
Matt Castle
Oh, Arkansas doesn't have a beach.
Bobby Bones
We have no beaches.
Matt Castle
You just have lakes everywhere.
Bobby Bones
We have lakes and ponds.
Matt Castle
What about lakes? Are you. Are you a lake guy?
Bobby Bones
I'm very much a late guy. More than an ocean guy because I don't know what's in the ocean. Also, it's too salty. Also, it's too wavy.
Matt Castle
Well, that's the whole point. You get a boogie board or you get a surfboard and you go out.
Bobby Bones
There and you have to go and swim against it.
Matt Castle
That's right. You got to be athletic. I mean, look at your feet, for God's sakes. You. Obviously you do some kind of labor. You got to get out there. You got to earn it.
Bobby Bones
That's from dance.
Matt Castle
That's from dance.
Bobby Bones
I bet it is, for the most part.
Matt Castle
Yeah, for sure.
Bobby Bones
I like a lake. If I can get on a boat and do some sort of dragging activity. Awake board a wake, surf.
Matt Castle
Yeah. Even the tubing.
Bobby Bones
Any of that.
Matt Castle
Yeah.
Bobby Bones
But I don't like to be on a beach for any reason. I don't like to lay on the beach.
Matt Castle
You don't you don't like to lay out in your two piece and just. I don't know.
Bobby Bones
You're as tan as I've ever seen you.
Matt Castle
You know what? Yesterday was a lazy day around the pool, laid out. My wife, she's got that Mediterranean olive skin. I laid out just right next to her. We talked all that stuff. I was a lobster last night. I literally had to put Oliveira on my face burn. I don't burn at all. I just hadn't been out in the sun since. I've had this pneumonia thing for, like, the last three weeks. But I went for it yesterday. I. I definitely got the base team.
Bobby Bones
What do you do at the pool?
Matt Castle
What do we do?
Bobby Bones
What do you do? I don't even know what to do here. We have a pool. Five minutes in, I'm like, this sucks. I'm out.
Matt Castle
Yeah, we jump in. Plus, I've got all the kids, right. So I'm throwing kids around the pool, breaking up fights. Because every time they get in the pool with each other, especially my boys, they're shooting hoops or something like that, it becomes competitive. It's a wrestling match. It's. Don't splash each other. It's. It's just. It's a lot of fun.
Bobby Bones
Okay, I can understand that. Because it's an activity.
Matt Castle
It's an activity. And I even went. So we have this old playground set down by my barn. And I took the big slide off of it and I made a stand and I connected it. It's the most hillbilly water slide you've ever seen. But my daughter really wanted to get a water slide, and I. I put it right by the pool. Dude, it is so ghetto. It's awesome.
Bobby Bones
That's awesome.
Matt Castle
Yeah.
Bobby Bones
Tj. Who's Magada Coming on a little bit.
Matt Castle
Yeah.
Bobby Bones
And so I was a big fan. I was a Bengals fan growing up because, and I've mentioned this before, Boomer Assassin was left handed. That was the guy I gravitated to because whenever I was very young, much like yourself. We're very similar. I was a quarterback.
TJ Houshmandzadeh
Yeah.
Bobby Bones
Of course. Until, like, sixth grade, I was a quarterback.
TJ Houshmandzadeh
Yeah.
Matt Castle
Lefty slinging it.
TJ Houshmandzadeh
And.
Matt Castle
So different.
Bobby Bones
Yeah.
Matt Castle
Always came out a little different.
Bobby Bones
Mine weak.
Matt Castle
No, but you were. But you were on time. You had anticipation. And you're accurate.
Bobby Bones
I was in sixth grade. We ran a lot. That's probably why I was quarterback. I knew where to hand the ball to.
Matt Castle
Yeah.
Bobby Bones
But I was a big Bengals f. So that meant Chad Johnson. Early days.
Matt Castle
Yeah.
Bobby Bones
Did you ever play against him in college?
Matt Castle
We did. So in 2001, we went up to Corvallis. It was the third week of the season. We were ranked, like, eight in the country or something like that. And we went up there and they had a loaded team. And if you know Corvallis, it is a small stadium, these people are on top of you, they're yelling at you, and they rush the field, and they're all just talking crap to us on the field. I'll never forget that, because I was like, what is going on right now? But they. They beat us. But that. That's the same year that they went on, I think it was to the Fiesta bowl. And they beat Notre Dame in the Fiesta bowl, like, 41 to 9. They had a great team and ended up going way beyond expectations of what anybody thought in preseason, because you didn't think of Oregon State as a powerhouse. They also had Derek Anderson on that team as a young quarterback. Quarterback? Yeah, yeah, he was a young quarterback on that team. But they had a loaded roster, and they. And obviously their skill was as good as anybody in the country.
Bobby Bones
How many times were you on the field where it was rushed by another team?
Matt Castle
Let's see. I mean, that was one that I can remember. I think Washington State might have upset us at one point. They rushed anytime we went somewhere and we got upset. More than likely, they're rushing the field. Like, it was just weird.
Bobby Bones
Is it weird to see everybody come pouring in?
Matt Castle
It's crazy because, you know, it's these obnoxious, nerdy fans sometimes, and they're like this. But they're. This is before, like, the selfies, because now you see everybody, they're running out. They're all filming themselves. Even when. Remember when Tennessee beat Alabama, I had a bunch of buddies go that game with their kids, and they've got all this incredible footage of them on the field, running out, storming it and taking down the goal posts. And I was like, this is such a different time. Back then. It was just like a party on the field, and then they're going up, you know, hugging, loving their players and doing all that. So it was. It's always wild when you see something like that. It's chaotic.
Bobby Bones
What kind of sucks now, because I stormed a couple times back in the day with Arkansas. But what kind of sucks now is that people will try to get reactions from the other team's players that just lost because of the phones, right? They'll go up and talk garbage to them and be like, what do you think now? And it's like, oh, man. Don't do that. What kind of clout are you chasing?
Matt Castle
I know it's. It's the most obnoxious thing when fans come up and want to talk to the players after a game. It's a hard fought game. I'll never forget when, remember when LeGarrett blunt at Oregon and it was boys, wasn't it? Boise State or something like that, and they started to rush the field, they lost and that dude was coming up to talk smack and he cold cocked him.
Bobby Bones
I was like, like done.
Matt Castle
That's what most players want to do, right? You want to be like, really? Dude, Check this out. Wow.
Bobby Bones
Did you play with Blunt at all in New England?
Matt Castle
No, I did not. He was after me.
Bobby Bones
He seems like a guy that would call anybody.
Matt Castle
Yeah, he was one of those intimidating figures. I've been around him, dude, where you're like, you better just kind of like feel it out with, you know, a little feelers. Like we dab him up a little bit, get a feel. He was always really cool with me, but I don't think he's one of those guys you want to cross.
Bobby Bones
Yeah, I don't either.
Matt Castle
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Kind of intimidating.
Bobby Bones
A couple things. So what we're doing this week we haven't done yet is we each have a few things we haven't shared with the other person yet. What we're going to bring, what we're going to. So we'll just go 1, 11111. Good for that. And H ma will come on. We'll probably break it up halfway through, but. But would you like to go first?
Matt Castle
Sure, go ahead.
Bobby Bones
What do you have?
Matt Castle
Well, I, I think I'm going to start with the Giants. I thought Jackson Dart, he got an opportunity to go out there and play and you could immediately see this kid is going to be pretty something special. I mean, the ball comes out, he's got a quick delivery, he made a throw under pressure. The 29 yard touchdown pass to little Jordan Humphrey in the corner, which again, sometimes these plays are going to break down, particularly in preseason when maybe you don't have your starting line in there all the time, but you're going to get pressure. How do you respond when you have somebody coming in your face and do you still deliver the ball accurately? And I thought he made a great throw. It was precision throw on a go route down the field, exactly where you want to put it. So I just think that he showed a lot in his first outing and helped himself and I think the Giants are excited about him. He Also has that mobility. And he's that dual threat quarterback because you saw it in college as well, right? He can make all the throws and all that, but it's the difference maker for him is he can get himself out of trouble with his legs. And you saw him make a few really good scrambles, get himself out of trouble. So all in all, in these preseason games, you just want to see number one from these young quarterbacks. Do they have command? I thought he had great command. Number two is the ball coming out quickly and on time and in rhythm. You saw that. And then are you able to withstand pressure, handle the pressure and still deliver the ball? And I thought he. He checked all those boxes, so I think. I thought it was a real good, really good start for him. And then on the opposite side of the ball, Abdul Carter.
Bobby Bones
Oh, he only played six snaps and he dominated.
Matt Castle
Dude, did you see that? And he dominated four of them. And Dawkins is an all pro at left tackle. I mean, from. Do you just see the speed and explosiveness of this kid? And you're just going, oh, my God, this kid's a superstar.
Bobby Bones
He played literally six snaps, literally six.
Matt Castle
Snaps in every snap. Yeah, he was. He had an impact on the play.
Bobby Bones
He was a factor in all, he dominated four of them of the six snaps.
Matt Castle
And he wasn't going up, like I said, against a scrub. That's. That's a legit all pro at left tackle. And you could already see, look, he. There wasn't a time where he got stonewalled. He's got. He's got different moves in his bag, but his speed to power, he's got different rush moves, but I'm telling you, the way he comes off the ball is just uniquely special.
Bobby Bones
So back to Jackson Dart. And again, these topics. What I like is we don't know what we're going to share. So two things about Jackson Dart. Number one, I watched him in a clip. Look at a penthouse in New York. You guys seen this clip yet?
Matt Castle
No.
Bobby Bones
They're asking him how much he wants to spend, and they're like around 10 million. And he's like, yeah, he's looking at $10 million penthouse. He signed a four year, $17 million deal. Now, as somebody who didn't come from money, who now has a lot of money, I want to shake him. I want to shake him and go, bro, I get it. You made your first money, all right? But you're playing football. If you were playing baseball or basketball, I think we have a different conversation.
Matt Castle
And you're playing In New York.
Bobby Bones
Yes.
Matt Castle
So taxes are a little bit different.
Bobby Bones
Oh, I. I just want to, like, take and run my hands with a little hair and be like, buddy, it's. It's. It's. Pops is speaking to you. Don't dump the brakes big time. Get you. Get you two and a half, $3 million.
Matt Castle
Who's advising you to go and spend basically four years worth of salary because you're taking half of that 17 in taxes. And, you know, maybe he's betting on.
Bobby Bones
Himself, but still bet on yourself with a $3 million, $3 million condo, even.
Matt Castle
You know, I'll go to four. Right. But a $10 million condo in New York. I mean that.
Bobby Bones
Let's break the money down. So let's say, and you may look up the details of this contract, I believe, just from memory, is four years, $17 million it is. Okay, so let's do the math. I've gotten pretty good at rough math because I've been doing this for myself now for a while.
Matt Castle
Yep.
Bobby Bones
17 million bucks in new York, where taxes are very high.
Matt Castle
Yes.
Bobby Bones
So let's. Let's take, like, 52% of that out.
Matt Castle
Yeah. Because you got property tax, too.
Bobby Bones
And. And not only that, you have an agent fee of three, two and a half to 3%.
Matt Castle
Right.
Bobby Bones
Right. That's about nine. He's gonna have about $9 million. And that's. You gotta eat, buddy.
Matt Castle
Yeah.
Bobby Bones
You're gonna be house poor.
Matt Castle
Yeah.
Bobby Bones
And it ain't like right now, you're gonna get massive endorsement deals.
Matt Castle
He's taking the subway. Just, oh, my.
Bobby Bones
He's bringing a paper bag for lunch because he spent all his money on his house.
Matt Castle
Maybe they've got an Uber deal for all their players where they get free Ubers.
Bobby Bones
And again, I'm not sure if he bought it, but he said he was in the market for a $10 million, and the one he was looking at, it was wild. That was number one. Number two, when you talk about Jackson Dart, I think when I think of the dynamic plays that he made at Ole Miss, it was by foot, obviously. Obviously, he can throw the ball, But I think what a lot of people don't know unless they watch Ole Miss play. Like, he can move.
Matt Castle
Oh, he can move.
Bobby Bones
And don't let the pigment in his skin fool you. He's a white boy, but he can move pretty good for a white boy.
Matt Castle
Oh, yeah.
Bobby Bones
So, yeah, I think. Boy, I just don't. The Giants just are never good. It's that. That affiliation I have with teams, because I know it's been so bad that.
Matt Castle
It'S like so bad for so long. But I like Brian Dabel. He was with me in New England. He also was with me in Kansas City. I think he's a really good coach. Obviously, when he got that job, he came from Buffalo, and he's a coach that understands the game. He's a really great offensive mind. But when you look at that defense, they've been stacking players on that defensive side of the ball. They're just in a very difficult division with Dallas, Philly, obviously Washington. They're. They're all really good teams right now. So it's going to be a competitive division. I hope for his sake that he's able to put it together and get something going this year, because I think that they can compete with anybody. It's whether or not they can get over the hump and be consistent.
Bobby Bones
Two questions I have about the Giants is that one, who's going to start? Probably Russ.
Matt Castle
Russ will start the year. Yep.
Bobby Bones
And then two, is this Able's first, his quarterback? Because Daniel Jones was there, and Daniel Jones was in the fifth year of his.
Matt Castle
Right.
Bobby Bones
And they had to extend that.
Matt Castle
Right.
Bobby Bones
Because he happened to have a one good year.
Matt Castle
Right.
Bobby Bones
So you wonder if day ball is given because they know what his ceiling is as not just an offensive coordinator, which is what he was in Buffalo with Josh Allen. Right. But as a head coach, if he gets a few years now because he finally has his quarterback.
Matt Castle
Yeah, I think that's part of it, too. Always when you're evaluating a head coach, you're like, does he have his guy? And you saw. If you saw the footage from the war room this year, he was pushing that GM to go up and get Jackson dart. He really. He did his homework on him. He had a relationship with Lane Kiffin going back to Alabama. So they. They had a relationship. He did. He understood. Of course, there were all those rumors, like, he went out and met with Shador Sanders. But he wanted this guy. He handpicked him. And I think that the GM ownership understand that he's high on Jackson dart, and they're going to give him an opportunity to see if this is something that's going to blossom into something special.
Bobby Bones
Mine are. I have three different players that I watched every snap of, and I wanted to talk about them individually. And number one is Shadur.
Matt Castle
I knew you were gonna say that.
Bobby Bones
And I'm gonna present my bias at first. I really like Dion as a person. Worked with him, very close for months and months. We spent every day together for, like, Three or four months when I see him. Still love that dude.
Matt Castle
But he didn't play in preseason this year.
Bobby Bones
Dion.
Matt Castle
No, it was Shador.
Bobby Bones
I know, but I'm just saying, whenever I say nice things about people, especially Shur.
Matt Castle
Yes.
Bobby Bones
People are like, yeah, but you. You're just friends with Dion. So I would just like to put that up front. So he had a good game.
Matt Castle
He killed it.
Bobby Bones
He had a good game. Here's the thing. It's going to. It's not going to end well with the amount of adulation he received from that one good preseason. He had a Nike ad after one game. Holding, doing his one. And again, I like sh. And he had a good game.
Matt Castle
Yeah.
Bobby Bones
And he started because Flacco didn't. Flacco wasn't going to.
Matt Castle
Right.
Bobby Bones
Dylan Gabriel was hurt.
Matt Castle
Right.
Bobby Bones
Kenny Pickett was hurt. So we'll put Shadow in. Snoop Huntley's there. I don't even know who's like five. Is there a five?
Matt Castle
I think they brought in two guys for the preseason.
Bobby Bones
They did.
Matt Castle
Yeah, I think so.
Bobby Bones
So shoulder plays really well. I was pumped for him. But everything that followed the Nike ad, him going. I believe it was to that reporter that works for the.
Matt Castle
Call him out.
Bobby Bones
Yeah. But he wasn't rude about it. He was like, why don't you ever say anything good about me? It. Because it was so positive and the Internet was so divided. People that were saying nice things or people that didn't want to say nice things.
Matt Castle
Right.
Bobby Bones
Because it was a great performance. I think it makes the pendulum when it. Because it's going to happen. This is the NFL. You know as well as anybody, you don't maintain that. And it was against basically the twos and threes.
Matt Castle
You have to temper expectations when you're.
Bobby Bones
There's no tempering with. With.
Matt Castle
No.
Bobby Bones
And I think it's going to the Super Bowl. It's going to bite him in the butt. And it's not his fault so much.
Matt Castle
It's not his fault. And the only thing you can do as a young quarterback when you get an opportunity like this, because like you said, it all worked into his favor. Where Flacco doesn't need the reps. Kenny Pickett's out. Dylan Gabriel, you're not splitting time with anybody, but you get this opportunity, are you going to maximize that opportunity? I think he did just that. He showed that he could play, was awesome. He.
Bobby Bones
He made good throws.
Matt Castle
Great. Great throws.
Bobby Bones
Yeah.
Matt Castle
I mean, the throw from the end zone, it was, I think, third and eight, and there was an end Cut. He threw on time with a guy breathing down his throat. And I think we can go back to college and you can watch him every step of the way. I think that that was one of his superpowers, is that he doesn't flinch. He'll take it right on the chin, but deliver the football. He just. And then the ball that. The first touchdown pass, it was a corner route in the back of the end zone. He layered it in between two defenders. Beautifully accurate. And that was always part of his game, is his accuracy. I think the one thing also that showed up, that he showed people that. That people always talk about, you know, he's not an elite athlete, but he's got enough mobility to get outside, scramble, make plays with his legs as well. So I think all around it was just a solid performance, and he's got.
Bobby Bones
To feel good about it and you can go. Well, it was against the twos and threes. Okay, well, most of that Cleveland side as well were 2, 3.
Matt Castle
They didn't play their starters either.
Bobby Bones
Right. So I was pumped for them. But that pendulum is going to swing.
Matt Castle
Back 100% because they're going to have to get look at these other guys, whether it's Kenny Pickett, Dylan Gabriel, and see what they're going to do. So, you know, there's going to be this side of the fans that say, well, why isn't sure playing more? We need to see more of him. At the same time as the coaching staff, you have to evaluate all the guys that you have on the team and give them an opportunity to see what they can do as well. So it's going to be much different going moving forward.
Bobby Bones
Talk to me about what's happening in the mind of somebody when they're watching a quarterback that they're in a close competition with play really great. Because I got to think, if you're Dylan Gabriel, you're like, stupid hamstring. I don't even get a chance.
Matt Castle
Right. It's tough, man, because the competitor inside of you want to. Wants to be out on the field. And when you're hurt in your sideline and there's nothing you can do about it, you're at the mercy of just watching somebody else play, and you hate to see somebody else doing your job, especially when you know, this is an opportunity for me to get out there, but I can't. You. You want to play that happy medium of you're happy for somebody. And I think that everybody has a different personality, but the competitor inside of you, like, God dang it, I Want to be out there. And now I know I've got to step my game up. But that's what competition does in every, every facet of sports is are you going to rise to the occasion? Is it going to make you better? And are you going to step up to the competition?
Bobby Bones
My other one in this first little segment here is Cam Ward. I watched every snap. The first drive was, wasn't great. Just wasn't great in general.
Matt Castle
Right.
Bobby Bones
I hate to say this. He's awesome. I hate to say it because it's preseason game one, and I don't want to wrap myself in a tortilla of hype. No, he's awesome.
Matt Castle
Yeah, I was fired up. I mean, because you saw him come back that second series, the first series, he was over two, missed a few throws, didn't go well. Okay, you're, how do you respond? He comes right back out and starts seating the ball. He finds Calvin Ridley, his number one wide receiver. The deep curl route over the middle. He threw the ball to the sideline to sideline. On the out route, he hit Calvin, and then the crossing route was probably his best. Throw it right, right by the linebacker and right before the safety came down. I mean, you could see the arm strength, you could see the pocket presence. It, it was exciting to watch. Just because Tennessee hasn't had a guy like that to get excited about in a long time. And again, he's been underrated. Nobody's talking about Cam Ward, but to go out and have that first outing with a team like that, it's got to give them a lot of excitement.
Bobby Bones
When he would drop back, he would drop back 12 to 13 yards.
Matt Castle
Yeah, he had a lot of depth, so.
Bobby Bones
And I remember listening to Peyton Manning talk about how he didn't like to drop back that far because it gave.
Matt Castle
Defensive backs, the defensive ends coming around.
Bobby Bones
That, that's what it was. So the, the, the ends could get around the edge because you're back farther, right? So it made it easier for them to get back. What are your thoughts on that?
Matt Castle
Well, I, I, I think if you're going to take that type of drop step, right, if you're getting to 10 to 12 yards, you have to be ready to put your foot in the ground and step up in the pocket, because what they're trying to do, you're trying to secure the interior part of your pocket with your guards in your center, right? And those guys are, are super important because if you get push back, you feel that in your face, right? And you're trying to work Those guys around the edge. And so when you're, when you're getting any more than 12 yards or you're staying at that, that's a really hard task on those tackles to keep them from getting to you at that point. So you've got to be able to drill where you get the 12, but you're going to put your foot in the ground and immediately get back into that pocket, that secure pocket of protection. So you've got to be careful about that because the more you get back, these guys like we just saw, we talked about a guy like Abdul Carter, he's just going to run around the edge and he's going to beat you to that spot. And that's where the strip sacks and all that stuff happens. So it's all about drill work and also the coaching and what, what you're being told by that quarterback coach or offensive coordinator of how much depth they want to get and what they're being drilled on to step back up into the pocket of protection.
Bobby Bones
The other thing that I have here is Cam Little hits a 70 yard field goal. It was amazing.
Matt Castle
I didn't even see that.
Bobby Bones
Yeah, from the 45, he kicked a 70 yard field goal. It was four yards more than what the record is. Although it's not a record because it's in preseason.
Matt Castle
Right. I give him the record, though.
Bobby Bones
It was 70 yards and I think he could have. He could have been back five more yards. Yeah, it was easy. It didn't like, barely make it over the crossbar.
Matt Castle
That's unbelievable.
Bobby Bones
I messaged him and I said I was going to read you this.
Matt Castle
You messaged him? He taught Bobby how to kick about years ago.
Bobby Bones
I did a whole. Really? He kicked in Arkansas.
Matt Castle
Did you. Did you kick without your shoes on?
Bobby Bones
No, I can't kick.
Matt Castle
You can't?
Bobby Bones
No.
Matt Castle
Come on, you're on all. Are you a lefty kicker?
Bobby Bones
I don't know. I kick with both feet. I don't know. I'm.
Matt Castle
I don't even know what I am.
Bobby Bones
I am such a bad. I couldn't kick and it was terrible. And he, he gave me some notes and we worked on it, but so I messaged him.
Matt Castle
So did you actually make some field goals?
Bobby Bones
Yeah, but I'm talking about. It was like 1960 style where you take three steps back and then kick it straight forward. Like Charlie Brown.
Matt Castle
With your toe?
Bobby Bones
Yeah.
Matt Castle
Yeah.
Bobby Bones
Basically I said, did that 70 yarder feel like you were gonna make it right off the foot or did you have to stare it down? Yeah, because again, it's 70.
Matt Castle
70 yards, he wrote.
Bobby Bones
He texted me back. He said I definitely had to stare it down. No doubt knew it was straight. Did not know if it had the leg. Laughy Laffy emoji emoji.
Matt Castle
Incredible.
Bobby Bones
Incredible.
Matt Castle
70 yards is a. I mean an absolute monster. It's ridiculous.
Bobby Bones
Okay, we're Gonna come back. T.J. husmanzade coming up. We'll talk to him and we'll go back and forth a little more as well. All right, back in a second.
Matt Castle
Foreign.
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Bobby Bones
Coming up now. TJ Husmanzada. We'll talk his career. We'll talk what he's doing now. As far as him and Snoop, they have a flag football league but played junior college. Is it Cerritos College?
Matt Castle
Cerritos.
Bobby Bones
I know that's kind of your.
Matt Castle
Yeah, that's my neck of the woods.
Bobby Bones
Played junior college, then went to Oregon State. We talked about that a little bit with Matt earlier. And then from there went to Cincinnati, played with the Raiders, played with the Ravens.
Matt Castle
He went to. I think he signed a big deal with Seattle, but was only there for like a year. And then Ravens Raiders went back and reunited with Carson when he was with the Raiders late and I think that was his last stop, but I, I think most people would recognize him from his days as a Cincinnati Bengal.
Bobby Bones
How do you know him?
Matt Castle
You know what, we used to work out all the time in the off season because of the connection. He's a SoCal guy so we'd go out and throw together and obviously Carson being out there as well. So we used to work out a lot and we'd bring wide receivers out and he was impressive to watch, man.
TJ Houshmandzadeh
He.
Matt Castle
He was. He's intense. And you'll probably notice it in the interview. He's just. He's an intense guy, but he loves football.
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He.
Matt Castle
He was one of those guys that was always teaching the younger guys what to do, working on his releases, all that stuff. It was just a pleasure to always be around him. And he always was fun to work with because he took it serious.
Bobby Bones
What did you call him?
Matt Castle
Tj. But behind his back, it was who's your mama? Because it was just tj. Who's your mama?
Bobby Bones
All right, here he is. Tj. Who's Manzada? Hey, tj. Really appreciate you coming on. I do want to start with this because Matt was just talking about playing you guys at Oregon State. When you guys rushed the field. What are your.
Matt Castle
What do you.
Bobby Bones
You remember that game when you guys beat USC and the crowd came rumbling in?
Matt Castle
It was like 2001. You guys had Stephen Jackson, you, Ocho. We played you, like, the third game of the season. We came up there. We were ranked, like, eighth in the country. And you guys. I do remember us. And they rushed the field.
TJ Houshmandzadeh
I remember that. And part of the game that I do remember was when Carson threw a pick and our safety intercepted the ball. And you guys were going in the score, and I don't know why. I remember this dude. Carson ran our safety down. Yeah, our safety, he was. He was out in the open. Like, it would have been 100y return. Carson caught him at, like, the 20 or the 15 yard line, and I was like, oh, Carson can really run. Yes, I do remember that. It was a great thing because I was on my way to usc. Obviously, that didn't happen. I go to Oregon State, and Oregon State, in. I believe it was 27 or 30 years, they hadn't had a winning season. And so I think once we're able to beat a program like usc, that's why everybody rushed the field, because they were like, oh, this may be something special. And it wasn't anything special that year, but that was the first winning season and probably three decades. It was the following year where we kind of took off.
Matt Castle
Yeah, that was incredible. Let's talk about this. So you. You go to Oregon State, you get drafted in the seventh round. Preseason just started. Talk to me about your mentality and how preseason was important for you coming in to make a name for yourself and. And earn a spot on the team and how important it is for all these young players.
TJ Houshmandzadeh
Matt, you know this all too well, man. When you're drafted. It's so funny. I don't know why I have all these stories to tell, right? But I train a lot of guys for the combine, and so one of my players, I'm not going to say his name that I've been working with, he felt like he didn't play well this past weekend. It's like, oh, man, I had X amount of balls thrown to me. I only caught half of them. One of them I really should have caught. I don't know what's going to happen. And I'm really blunt with them. These preseason games matter so much. I said, when you're drafted late, all you want is opportunity, singular. We may not get opportunities, plural. And so I'm like, you got to get over. You got to take advantage of your opportunities. You may not get another one. And you're going to kick yourself in because you're dropping balls that you should catch. And yeah, they may be 50, 50, but you got to make those catches. These preseason games for guys like myself and the guys that were drafted late, or you're at the bottom of the depth chart, you have to take advantage of opportunities. Don't give me the bs. Oh, man, the coach doesn't like me, man. Every coach wants to win because when they win, they make more money. They make more money. They got a smile on their face. And so I love the preseason games. I don't like them. I don't want them to do away with the games. I want them to keep the games going because there's always guys that. They're just gamers. They may not look good in practice, but they play well in the game. And you got guys that are all American practice players and they can't do in the game. And so I love the preseason. I love watching it. It's good for players that just are trying to get a footing in the league.
Bobby Bones
Are some of those guys that are going in 5, 6, and 7? Or maybe most of those guys, are they not only trying to prove they can play their position, but they're also going, hey, I can also be used on special teams or any way you need me. Please let me show you. During a game.
TJ Houshmandzadeh
Obviously, yes. And you know, you got to go talk to the special teams coach. What do I have to do to make this team? You, you tell me. If I got to run through this wall, I'm running through the wall. What do I have to do to make the team? But special teams, now, it's different. It wasn't when I was playing. It was, hey, you Wanted to on the wedge. You're splitting them. You're not turning your body. You're putting your face mask right in the middle of them. You're going right down. Do not turn your body. It's so different. The safety awareness kickoffs now are going to the 35, so I believe that will entice more returns. But when you're a receiver, unless you're a bigger receiver, you gotta make it as a receiver, a gunner, special teams. I just don't know if it has as much of an impact now as when we were playing just because of the rules and trying to make sure everybody is safer.
Matt Castle
TJ I mean, I remember in off season we used to work out, and I always was in awe of how you'd come out in your professionalism and how you would approach just even throwing sessions, right? You'd always work in your craft and. And go out. Talk to me about when you knew that you had finally kind of arrived in the league and that you knew going to have some sustainability. Because I know that early on, early on for all of us, right, we're all fighting for that little crumb and trying to make. Make a statement. But when did you realize, like, okay, I belong, I'm here for the long haul, man.
TJ Houshmandzadeh
Matt, this going to sound cocky as hell, man.
Matt Castle
I love it.
TJ Houshmandzadeh
Hey, after my first practice, rookie rookie minicamp. Well, it wasn't rookie minicamp. It was everybody. It was right after the draft. After that first practice, I got in the fight, but that I did get some reps prior to the fight. And the year before me, the Bengals drafted Peter Wark. He was the fourth pick. And in my opinion, this is just my opinion, the best two college football players that I. That I've seen with my own two eyes are Peter War and Reggie Bush. Those two dudes were unbelievable college football players. And so after that first practice, I said, oh, my God, he was the fourth pick. Oh, I'm playing in the NFL. Like, there's no question. I felt like I was the best receiver on the team after that first practice. And so that gave me the confidence to know, like, bro, this dude was the fourth pick of the draft. I watched this guy on TV go to work against everybody he played against. And so every off season, I just. I killed myself working out. I've worked with Julian Edelman, and he's another dude, man. Like, he almost literally had me kill myself because I didn't want him to beat me in workouts. And so we're both about to die because we're Trying to prove a point. But, yeah, after that first practice, I knew I was made to play in the league. I could play in the league. I could be a good player in the league. But, dude, I worked so hard. I didn't even take vacations, man. Me and my wife would argue. I'm like, you can go on a vacation. I'm not going. Yeah. And so we would argue about that. I'm like, you can go. I can't train on vacation. I need to be out here with my trainer, CO C. And so I love football then. I love football now. It's giving me everything. I just love the game.
Bobby Bones
What do you see with Travis Hunter? Because now we're watching more than practice clips. We got to watch him play both sides a little bit. What do you see in his ceiling as far as Year one?
TJ Houshmandzadeh
Man, that young man, he's so talented. He's so talented. But I have concerns. I'm not going to sit up here and act like I don't have concerns. And can he play both sides of the ball? Yeah, he can play both sides of the ball. How long do you want to play both sides of the ball? That's the problem. It's football and the National Football League. You want to have longevity. I don't know how long he can play playing both sides of the ball. Because everybody, like, the difference between high school and college is. In high school, you may have three or four guys that play hard from whistle to whistle, from snap to the whistle. In college, you may have seven or eight of guys that play hard from snap to whistle. In the NFL, all 11 guys from the snap to the whistle are balls to the wall. And can your body withstand just that, that type of battering? Yeah. Your first two to three years, you'll be fine because you're young. He can be really good at receiver. He can be really good at corner. I'm playing receiver because as of right now, the receivers are making more money than the corners. But he's going to have to be careful if he wants to play a decade plus in the league. We're going both ways.
Matt Castle
Do you think Jamar Chase T. Higgins is the best duo in the NFL right now? And how would you compare them to you and Ochocinko back in the day in those offenses?
TJ Houshmandzadeh
To answer the first question, yes, I do believe they're the best duo. I don't know how anybody can say otherwise and pick any, any pair on a team that's better than them. Not with what they've done. The quarterback that they Have. Yeah, I don't think it's close, to be honest. I would probably say them. AJ Brown, Devonte cd, George Pickens, just off the top of my head. And now also Puka and Devonte. And so those would be my top four. But for sure, for sure. Chase and Higgins, T. Higgins and Jamar Chase, they're better than me and Chad were, and I think Chad would say the same thing. I don't like to get into the. Oh, we were better than them because we older guys now. But Jamar Chase is on his way to being the greatest Bengals receiver ever. So that means he gonna knock Chad down to number two. He gonna knock me down for. I was. And T. Higgins is also gonna do the same thing. And so the way they've played, one thing the Bengals is gonna do, we gonna have some receivers that can play football. And they've always drafted receivers and develop them. I'm happy for them that they. They finally got their payday, that they. They burned. We just got to stay healthy, man. We got one of the best quarterbacks in the league. We got the best receiving tandem in the league. Defense, come help us, baby.
Bobby Bones
Let's talk about that then, because, you know, you're Cincinnati's best defensive player still, as of right now, not signed. Where are we with Trey?
TJ Houshmandzadeh
It's disappointing, man. It really is. When you're a player and I put myself in Trey Hendrickson's shoes, you want to be compensated fairly. And this is a business. And so if you guys, meaning management, are going to approach it as a business, why can't I, you know, no hard feelings. Why. Why can't I? I led the NFL and sacks last year. The last two years, I've led the league in sacks. I'm not asking to be the highest paid defensive end. Just. Just put me in the vicinity. And. And so I'm with Trey Hendrickson with that. But I also get where the Bengals are coming from. Age. You're in the contract, what you gonna do? You're gonna sit out and lose money, but you're sitting out to try to make money. And so it's a tough situation to be in. They gotta resolve this, because without him, this is. It's a wash. Don't you think?
Matt Castle
Cincinnati, though, historically that's been an issue with this organization is sometimes they don't pay dudes that have earned that contract, even going back to Carson, and some of these guys that have had contract disputes didn't want to be there any. Any time, but just management in general.
TJ Houshmandzadeh
Yeah, man, it. Yeah, I mean, me and Carson, we talked to this day. I'm heading to practice with his alma mater later this afternoon. They didn't really. They gonna pay their quarterbacks, Matt. That's one thing. The Bingos, they don't play when it comes to the quarterbacks. When it comes to the quarterbacks, we gonna pay you. It's when we tell the quarterback we're going to do this, and then they don't do this, and then it happens time after time. I know with Carson, that rubbed him the wrong way. But you. You can't draft Shemar and not have him in camp on time when you're going through this with Trey Hendrickson. And so to me, I'm gonna get this done. I'm gonna make it short term. You're not gonna get all you want, and I'm not gonna give you what you feel is less. A good negotiation is when both parties are satisfied, but they feel like they both given up a little too much. But, yeah, the Bengals have done this. They. That. You know, that's. I was a cowboy fan growing up. I'm a Bengals fan now. I don't know why. My mind and my heart, I just. When I speak of the Bengals, I always say we. And obviously, because I spent so many years there, they gave me my opportunity. I really feel like had I gone anywhere else, I probably would have been released earlier because I was hurt. I almost played with you guys with the Patriots. Didn't happen. I went up there for a visit. I was like, oh, my God, if I can get with Tom Brady in an offensive system that is like, I need you to be here right now. I'm like, that's where I thrive in a system of you can't just do your own. The quarterback expects you to be here, be there. And that's what I love about football, man, just being on the team. But, yeah, the Bengals, man, we got to get our together, man. We. It bothers me, man, because we as athletes, our window is this big. Like, we don't have, oh, we can do it next year. Oh, we can do it next year. We done playing, man. Like, ain't no more next year. So you got to make it happen when you got it.
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Bobby Bones
A couple things. One, the sophomore slump. Is that a thing or is the most growth between year one and year two? Because and I look at like a CJ Style Stroud, Year one comes out as rookie quarterback, does so much more than anybody expected because there isn't a lot of expectation on rookies. However, he has kind of set a new precedent. Didn't have a great second year. Had a good second year, but not a great second year. But then you also hear between year one and two is when your most growth is. What's more true.
TJ Houshmandzadeh
It really depends on the player because there's a lot of players, man, they get comfortable after they have success in year one. They start to really think I'm the like, oh, I can't be touched, I'm untouchable. And then the league hits you right in the face. That, that, that happens where a lot of guys, they don't work going into year two like they worked going into year one. That's number one. Speaking of C.J. stroud, you know, he, he trains out here with us a lot of these dudes. I'm, I'm fortunate enough, man, around so many of the top quarterbacks every single off season, the top receivers every single off season. And so I'm able to see how they work. I'm able to see how often they show up to work and when they don't show up to work. You don't know me that well, but I'm letting a know like, bro, you ain't done. You had one good year. Like you better get your out here and work boy, what are you doing? And so that's how I talk to him. You know, some may not like it, but that's just me trying to push him to let them know. Like bro, guys are coming in every year to take your spot. You better take advantage of this. But I don't know if it's a sophomore Slump. You should get better from year one. Going in year one, your season ends, you're training for the combine, you really never get a break. You don't get a break. So your body breaks down a little bit as a rookie, whereas going into your second year, you get a little break, you can rest your body. Certain things you did that you liked, you continue things you didn't, that you didn't like. You. You take that out and so it's just trial and error, just experience.
Matt Castle
How do you think this is going to go for the Steelers this year with Aaron Rodgers?
TJ Houshmandzadeh
I mean, for the sake of the Bengals, I hope they play like so.
Matt Castle
Spoken so true from the heart right there.
TJ Houshmandzadeh
If I'm being honest though, man, that division is going to be crazy because I saw Shador looked great. Obviously the Ravens are going to be the Ravens and the Steelers are going to be the Steelers. One thing the Steelers are going to do is play great defense. That's no question they gonna play great defense. Can they create enough offense? I'm a huge fan of Aaron Rodgers. The quarterbacks of today, they all mimic him. The way he throws the ball, he's a trailblazer in that aspect. He has set a precedent of every young quarterback. At least when I'm on the field with these dudes, they all trying to throw the ball and trying to make it look like Aaron Rodgers. Can he rewind the hands of time and be the Aaron Rodgers of Green Bay? And his last great season, I believe was 2021. Can he do it? And we don't know because last year with the Jets, I'm like, boy, that's Aaron Rodgers. They going to the playoffs and they didn't have a great year. And so the jets had a good defense. Offensively, the jets and the Steelers offense look very similar on paper right now. And so if they have a great season, it just shows me how great of a coach Mike Tomlin is. Because the jets of last year and the Steelers of this year, they look very similar. Strong on defense, one really good receiver on offense, we want to run the ball, but Pittsburgh is Pittsburgh, man, they always a great team, but I want them to play like, what's up with.
Bobby Bones
The flag league you and Snoop are doing?
TJ Houshmandzadeh
Oh, man, I love. So we got started in flag football, my son in Matt Leinert's league, and we started winning so much that they didn't want us to play in it anymore. And I mean, when I'm out there coaching, I'm a little. I'm a little crazy. Like I Played. I get real competitive talking trash to the other coaches. Never really kids, just the other coaches make it, make it fun. But so I went off and started my own league in the South Bay and I was just kind of going to do it on my own, talk to the NFL. They gave me to go ahead, do it. I have a good friend that works for the Chargers. He reached out to me and said, we can partner with you. I said, okay, that's perfect. I'd love to do that. So I partnered with the Chargers and then somebody from Snoop camp reached out and was like, man, can we get in with you? And I said, absolutely. So talked to Snoop, he wanted to do it. And we have been going at it now for a year and a half. First year we had like 200 kids or the first season. Second season we had like 750. Wow. And so it's just growing and growing and growing non profit. So we sponsored last year over 100 kids. They couldn't afford to inner city kids, let them play for free. I love it, man. It's something that we play every Friday. What we're really trying to do now is get a girls league out that I don't know if you guys watch girls flag football, but it's better than boys.
Matt Castle
They're legit.
TJ Houshmandzadeh
The way that they play, the excitement, the energy, the passion, it's completely different. And so that's what I'm looking forward to, is expanding the girls aspect of that. Because I was fortunate enough. I went down to Beaverton, Oregon. Nike flew me out there. They had a flag tournament of all girls. And I was amazed. I was amazed at how good they were and how serious they took the game. And you tell them something one time and they gonna do everything in their power to do exactly what you told them. We tell some, we tell the young boys this, they're gonna be like, man, shut your up. I ain't listening to you. They not saying that. But that's the look that they have on your face. On their face. So the flag league has been pleasantly a good thing for the community, the league. I appreciate the Chargers and Snoop and we're just trying to continue to grow it.
Bobby Bones
We'll put the note down at the bottom of our notes today if you guys want to go and learn more about it. And it's snoopandhoochflagfootball.org but we'll put the note down at the bottom for anybody that wants to go check it out. And grades one through eight, right? Is that what it is?
TJ Houshmandzadeh
Yeah. Kindergarten through the eighth grade. This past weekend, we just had a bunch of kids because, you know, we partner with the Chargers. The Chargers invited them out to the preseason game. They played a game at halftime. And so the Chargers have been great with this because they're letting kids come to training camp. They're getting on the field with the players. They're doing a lot of things that otherwise they wouldn't have an opportunity to do.
Matt Castle
You need to cut that kindergarten. You need to move that up right at first or second grade. I coach kindergarten flag football. My God, it's like hurting cats. They don't have any idea what they're doing. You can't throw it. You're not running it. You're just. You're just out there watching these kids run around going like they're not even the right position, you know. You know, they don't need a kindergarten league.
TJ Houshmandzadeh
Tj now you know. You know what it is though? It's a lot of jet sweeps.
Matt Castle
100%. That's. That's the only thing they could do.
Bobby Bones
Student body left, Student body right. 100%, TJ we really appreciate that. Thank you for coming on with us. And you guys check out up on game. It's Lavar Arrington, Plaxico Burris, and TJ on Fox Sports Radio. Big fan and appreciate the time you gave us today. And yeah, hope you have a great rest of the week, man.
TJ Houshmandzadeh
Hey, man, I appreciate you guys. You guys take care, man. Have a great rest of your day.
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Bobby Bones
Okay, back over to you. Give me something else.
Matt Castle
Well, I'm gonna stay with special teams though. Did you see Travion Henderson, one of the Patriots 100 yard kickoff to start the game. I did see that first time he touched the ball and I, I think it was such a great pickup by the New England Patriots. Second round pick. And we know he came out of Ohio State. He was a superstar there. He was there with Quin, Sean Junkins, and I always thought he was just an all around back. Everything from running the ball, his explosiveness, but also in the, in the past game as well, he's, he's an asset. But then now New England picks him up and he's just another chess piece for them to play with. Because the one thing that they lacked a little bit of was playmaking ability and also that explosive nature. Well, he gets the ball right off the jump and House calls it and nobody was close. There was not even a doubt. He hit the seam and then just ran right by everybody down the sideline. The other fun part was, you know what, he got some, he got some play at the running back position. He took one down the sideline for a 15 yard run. He helped out in the pass game as well. I think this guy is going to be a major asset for the New England Patriots. I thought it was a great pickup for him. So it was fun to watch that because you just never know. But you hear. You knew about Trayvon Henderson, but for him to explode on the scene with a 100 yard kickoff return, awesome.
Bobby Bones
To follow up with the Patriots, I did watch all the Will Campbell snapshot.
Matt Castle
Yeah, Will Campbell. You saw him get after that dude down the sideline.
Bobby Bones
He's gonna be awesome.
Matt Castle
He's just a dog.
Bobby Bones
He is.
Matt Castle
Yeah.
Bobby Bones
And again, coming out of lsu, he went viral a few times, right? Like, you know, I'm lucky I don't have to work delivery. I protect my quarterback. Like all these clips that have gone viral. So you're like, okay, is he more viral bite than real life dominant. And again, it's preseason, but I don't want to say that anymore because. But for. You can only beat the person in front of you and he's whooping those dudes.
Matt Castle
Well, he also has that mentality to him. Right? And you, like you said, you heard him talk, but I think he's one of those guys that just has so much pride in what he does and being a bully and protecting his quarterback and doing whatever he needs and he's got some nastiness to him. And that's what you want in your left tackle because it, it creates this edge for everybody on that offensive line. And so when you got a guy like that out there that can Go and set the tone up front. That's, that's a different type of mentality because normally the guys on defense are the guys that are talking smack and trying to, you know, bring the energy and do all that stuff. But when you have somebody like that on your side of the ball, the, it fires you up as a quarterback. And also everybody that's. That he's blocking for.
Bobby Bones
Okay, back over to me. And I have two quarterbacks that did not fare so well. And I'll go with Joe Milton, who to see his clips. And this happened with the Patriots, this happened with the Cowboys where he's throwing the ball 80 yards in practice. It's, I, it looks like he can't throw a 5 yard pass. He can only throw 80 yard passes like no touch. I felt bad for him. I was rooting for him.
Matt Castle
Well, I think that was part of his issue. Even going back to college is just surreal. Talent can throw the ball 100 yards probably. He's got one of the most powerful arms you'll see. And last year late in the season with the Patriots, they put him in to play the second half of Buffalo and he, he shined.
Bobby Bones
Yeah, he shined. He won a game they didn't want to win.
Matt Castle
Right. So he, he won a game and that's really what set him up to be traded over to Dallas. And then you get another opportunity. But then you saw some of those inconsistencies show up, right? The accuracy, the mid level throws, the intermediate passes where there's just too much on it or it's not as accurate. Where, especially when you're talking about that intermediate five to 10 yard routes, you have to put the ball on the guy. Especially when you throw that hard. It's impossible for those guys to adjust in that, that short of a time period. So it, it was something that had been talked about in terms of some of, of the faults of his game that showed up on tape.
Bobby Bones
I think, especially with Cowboys fans, I think it was great for Dak Prescott that he didn't go out and blow the top. Milton didn't blow the top off because I think all those fans would have been like, this is our guy, this is our guy.
Matt Castle
It always happens. I mean, the backup quarterback's always the most popular guy, right? And I say that because if your first string quarterback struggles at all, everybody's like, oh, let's put in so and so. He's the best. He'd do better than this guy. And then all of a sudden reality strikes. The guy gets hurt and the other Guy steps in, you're like, oh, God, I, I forgot how good the first string was and why he was right. Starting right. And Joe Milton's one of those polarizing figures because he's so physically gifted that people want to see more and more and then they realize, oh, he's still got a ways to go to become a good professional quarterback.
Bobby Bones
I can remember viral clips of Joe Milton at every stop. Michigan.
Matt Castle
Yeah.
Bobby Bones
When he came in. Or Tennessee, for sure. The Patriots, the Cowboys, this. Where was he, where did he, where was he first in the league? Patriots.
Matt Castle
Patriots.
Bobby Bones
Okay. Well, then I remember I have viral clips in my head of every stop he's ever been because Manny has a cannon, but it's like, it's only a cannon. Yeah, there's no, there's very little touch.
Matt Castle
Yeah, it's. It's full, full throttle every single time.
Bobby Bones
Another one. Another quarterback that didn't perform as well as I thought he would, based upon what I had seen from practice, was Quinn Ewers, like, really had a good camp, was really looking at a practice thinking about five for 18. It was not. It was not a good showing.
Matt Castle
Yeah, it's sometimes hard, man. You go in these preseason games, and I'll say this, there's two different approaches. And most of the time with these offensive coordinators, you're still in camp mode. And so they're not putting together a very elaborate plan. It's very simplistic. There's probably not a lot of motions you're running, a lot of your base stuff, and those don't always match up against the team that you're playing against. Normally when you go into a normal game week, you're scheming this team up, you're trying to make sure that you have plays and answers and check with me, but you're not showing your full array of your playbook. And so you kind of get handcuffed at times as a quarterback and also at the other extent of it, you're not always playing with the top tier offensive line or wide receivers and you're not always in sync with all those guys. So you're going to see these up and down performances where some guys will shine, other guys might struggle immensely. And you saw that with Quinn Ewers.
Bobby Bones
All right, your final point of the day.
Matt Castle
Final point of the day. I'm just happy that preseason's here. I mean, I will say this, the last guy I thought, Trevor Lawrence, with Liam Cohen coming out, I mean, that there was a lot of hype around Travis Hunter and what he was going to do. I mean, he played, he played offense, he played defense. It wasn't like one of these wow moments by any means.
TJ Houshmandzadeh
But.
Matt Castle
But Trevor Lawrence coming in under Liam Cohen, I think he did a great job of coming in and executing the offense. It looked like he had complete command, which is a good sign for Jacksonville. Liam Cohen, because I think he had a lot of success with the Buccaneers. He was brought here to help Trevor Lawrence. And if Trevor Lawrence can get back to what he was just a few years ago, where he was consistent, he's got some, he's got some dudes over there on that side of the ball that they could, they could do some damage, particularly in the AFC South.
Bobby Bones
How much is true about how difficult it is whenever your offensive coach is changed pretty much every year, because that's happened with Trevor Lawrence almost every year, right?
Matt Castle
It's very difficult because you have to think about some of the best quarterbacks in our league. There's consistency, there's alignment with your offensive coordinator with the terminology, the offensive scheme in general. So by the time you get to your second year in a system, it becomes second nature. You know that you get a particular look and you, you know, hey, this is probably not going to be great getting the ball downfield. I'm going to get to my check down right now, let him make 5, 6 yards, stay ahead of sticks and you take the thinking out of it. And that's when it's fun because you're not thinking so much as more so you're reacting and playing at a really high level. Whereas when you have this constant turnover of offensive scheme and everybody's got a different way to look at how you're going to read this, you're going to read it low to high, you're going to read high to low or terminology. Just learning it and having it click in your brain as soon as you hear it in your helmet to where you can visualize it, see it and go out and execute at a high level. It's difficult. So I know Trevor Lawrence is a smart guy. He's been with a lot of different coordinators, but it is difficult with that much change over such a small period of time in his young career.
Bobby Bones
My final point is out of football, but UFC just signed a big deal with Paramount. Paramount Plus.
Matt Castle
Yeah.
Bobby Bones
So they're going to do starting in 2026, Paramount Play paid $7 billion for seven years. The UFC pay per view is no more. If you have Paramount plus.
Matt Castle
Yes, I do have Paramount plus.
Bobby Bones
You get everything on Paramount plus. That's the numbered fights. That's the fight nights. Cbs, I think, is going to carry five of the big ones all year for free as well, like on network television.
Matt Castle
Network television. So ufc, dude, I'm telling you.
Bobby Bones
I mean, these UFC just. Okay, so $7 billion. No more pay per views. I mean, you saw this happen with WWE as well. First going to Peacock, and we just watched. We. You probably don't.
Matt Castle
No, I Love it.
Bobby Bones
Peak SummerSlam was on Peacock. WrestleMania. So Peacock's had it. But next year, WWE then is. Is moving there. There are no more pay per views because these streaming services are so much in the game.
Matt Castle
Right.
Bobby Bones
They're paying the billions of dollars to get eyeballs over to them. Raw, WWE is on Netflix, which you could watch that every Monday. So if you're a fight fan, no more paying for pay per views unless you have to go and buy Paramount plus, which it's about. What's a pay per view cost? 70 bucks.
Matt Castle
80 bucks or fight. 80 bucks a fight.
Bobby Bones
And what is there one of those a month? Oh, yeah. Maybe a couple numbered ones. Yeah.
Matt Castle
The actual ones that you pay.
Bobby Bones
Yeah, probably one or two. So if you get Paramount Plus, I think you're saving money, actually. Oh, yeah.
Matt Castle
Oh, for sure.
Bobby Bones
Because it's not 150 bucks a month for Plus. It's like 11, $12. Yeah, I think I pay, like 13 bucks because I get my little app reminder because I bought it through Apple. So it reminds me, you can also cancel things really easy if you buy it all through Apple, because you can go onto your phone and go, like, what are my subscriptions?
Matt Castle
Right. I do that all the time.
Bobby Bones
Because, like, I think I still have a tanning bed membership from, like, 23 years ago that I. That I don't know how to turn off. With Apple, though, you can just go and you. All right. You still got a little sickness in.
Matt Castle
You still got a little something.
Bobby Bones
You can know when Matt's laughing, when he's coughing.
Matt Castle
I'm coughing, I'm laughing.
Bobby Bones
So big deal. UFC going to Paramount Plus. So no more paying for pay per views. Let's go, let's go. That's it. Thanks to tj. Huge Manzada. That's Matt Castle. Very tan.
Matt Castle
Very tan. Look at me.
Bobby Bones
You don't even look red.
Matt Castle
No, I feel better.
Bobby Bones
Yeah, you look good. Oh, I'm starting to blossom 85% over the walking pneumonia.
Matt Castle
I'd say 85%. I still got a little rasp now.
Bobby Bones
It's like limping pneumonia.
Matt Castle
It's limping pneumonia. No more walking pneumonia. Crawling, crawling, crawling. Pneumonia. Just getting through it.
Bobby Bones
Kick off. Kevin Brandon Ray, I'm Bobby Bones. We've had lots to say. We'll see you guys next week.
TJ Houshmandzadeh
Bye everybody.
Bobby Bones
Lots to say With Bobby Bones and Matt Castle is a production of the NFL and iHeart podcast. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Bobby Bones
Is an iHeart podcast.
Podcast Summary: The Bobby Bones Show – "Lots to Say: Fmr NFL Wide Receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh"
Release Date: August 12, 2025
Host: Bobby Bones and Matt Castle
Guest: T.J. Houshmandzadeh
In this engaging episode of "The Bobby Bones Show," hosts Bobby Bones and Matt Castle delve deep into the world of football, focusing on preseason assessments, player performances, and featuring a special interview with former NFL wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The conversation is rich with insights, discussions on player development, and the evolving landscape of both professional and community football.
The hosts kick off the discussion by evaluating emerging quarterbacks in the preseason. Bobby Bones highlights Jackson Dart's impressive debut, emphasizing his quick delivery and accuracy under pressure.
Matt Castle echoes this sentiment, praising Dart's dual-threat capability, noting his mobility and ability to scramble effectively.
The conversation extends to Cam Ward, another promising quarterback whose performance in the preseason has sparked excitement despite a rocky start.
Bobby Bones [20:24]: "He’s awesome."
Matt Castle [20:34]: "He threw the ball to Calvin Ridley, his number one wide receiver, beautifully accurate."
Special teams receive significant attention, with Cam Little making a compelling case through an astounding 70-yard field goal.
This performance underscores the importance of versatile players who can turn the tide in crucial moments.
Abdul Carter's brief yet impactful appearance is discussed, highlighting his speed and explosiveness.
Matt Castle praises Carter’s diverse skill set, marking him as a potential superstar.
Former NFL wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh joins the show, sharing anecdotes from his playing days, including memorable games against teams like Oregon State.
Post-retirement, T.J. has channeled his passion into fostering community sports through a flag football league co-founded with Snoop Dogg. This initiative aims to provide opportunities for young athletes, particularly in inner-city areas.
He emphasizes the growth and impact of the league, especially with plans to expand into girls' flag football.
T.J. discusses the critical nature of preseason games for late-round draftees and the importance of seizing every opportunity to prove oneself.
He also touches on the competitive mindset required to thrive in the NFL and the challenges players face when vying for limited spots.
The hosts explore whether the "sophomore slump" is a reality or if most player growth occurs between the first and second years. T.J. provides a nuanced perspective, suggesting that individual player efforts and attitudes play a significant role.
Matt and Bobby discuss the internal competition among players, especially quarterbacks, and how injuries and performance can shift dynamics within a team.
Matt Castle [19:02]: "They didn't play their starters either."
Bobby Bones [37:16]: "What do you see in his ceiling as far as Year one?"
T.J. elaborates on the creation and growth of the flag football league he co-founded with Snoop Dogg. Starting modestly, the league has expanded significantly, focusing on inclusivity and providing free participation for underprivileged youth.
The initiative not only promotes physical activity but also fosters teamwork and discipline among young participants.
Towards the end of the episode, the hosts shift gears to discuss significant changes in the UFC's distribution model. UFC has signed a $7 billion deal with Paramount Plus, eliminating traditional pay-per-view events in favor of streaming availability.
Matt adds that this move is reflective of broader trends in sports broadcasting, with companies leveraging streaming platforms to reach wider audiences.
Bobby Bones wraps up the episode by thanking T.J. Houshmandzadeh for his insightful contributions and encouraging listeners to engage with the newly established flag football league.
The episode concludes on a high note, blending in light-hearted banter and reflections on the ongoing football season.
For listeners interested in supporting youth sports and learning more about the flag football league, visit snoopandhoochflagfootball.org.
This summary captures the essence of the podcast episode, highlighting key discussions and providing valuable insights into both professional football dynamics and community initiatives spearheaded by T.J. Houshmandzadeh.