- 2 weeks ago
NFL analyst Sean Salisbury thinks Brock Purdy is underrated | Willard & Dibs
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00:00And that's a great question on 95.7 The Game.
00:05We've mentioned this a couple times recently.
00:08Football season doesn't just bring football.
00:10It brings the opportunity for us to circle back and reconnect with some of our favorites.
00:15And this next guy absolutely qualifies as we welcome you back to Willard and Dibbs.
00:19Although, as Sean Salisbury joins us on the River Island's guest line,
00:23we should probably talk to you throughout the summer as well
00:25so you can help us with our golf games, Sean.
00:27We might want to start playing with that in June and July.
00:31I'd just as soon talk that football any day of the week.
00:34So whenever you'd like.
00:35I bet.
00:36I think I can talk it better than I can play it.
00:38But, yeah, man, all good.
00:40I'd love that.
00:41So thank you.
00:42Happy football season, man.
00:44It's great to have you on.
00:45Thank you for doing it.
00:46We're obviously already knee-deep in talking about the Rams and 49ers.
00:51And I'd love to know this from you, especially in your experience.
00:54We spend all summer talking about what teams look like on paper.
00:58So right now the Rams are the big favorite.
01:01But what's your experience through your career in terms of what a team was supposed to look like
01:07and then what actually happened?
01:10Well, yeah, I mean, I think that, you know, I was on a lot of talented Vikings teams.
01:16I must have sucked because we had like six Hall of Famers on one team.
01:19And so fortunately we had, when Warren came in and Jim McMahon and Rich Gannon and that group,
01:25we had some pretty good quarterbacks.
01:28First of all, you know, the Rams and 49ers are played a high level every year for the most part.
01:32We know that.
01:33We could sit here and talk injuries, but we'd say that about the worst team in the league
01:37and the last team in the league.
01:38You know, you're a quarterback away from the Rams being in trouble.
01:41You're a Trent Williams.
01:43You know, well, the 49ers have lived it.
01:45It seems like they live it every year that they know what injuries can do to a season.
01:51So I think on paper, both teams are pretty loaded.
01:54There's weaknesses on both.
01:56And there's obviously more strengths than weaknesses.
01:59You don't play it on paper, but they're both playoff teams and both have Super Bowl aspirations.
02:06And the 49ers just have to stay healthy.
02:08I'm not concerned if they're healthy about their overall consistent execution.
02:13I think they're good enough to do that.
02:15The Rams, good gracious.
02:17You went and got, you know, McDuffie and you add Aaron Donald.
02:21I mean, you want to be an offensive line trying to block them.
02:23You've got the reigning MVP who was supposed to have back issues when the season started last year.
02:29They're frigging loaded, man.
02:31They got perimeter people.
02:32You know, maybe the depth and the open, you know, linebacker and covering in space may be a problem.
02:37But both teams are really good.
02:39You got to be a little bit lucky.
02:40You do.
02:41And they're playing in a brutal division.
02:43Everybody not named Arizona.
02:44And I would have hoped that Arizona is a little better.
02:47So, and a reigning Super Bowl champs from the division.
02:49And we're talking about them third right now in our conversation here.
02:53So, yeah, man, it's when you got quarterback and you got the both of them are loaded with talent everywhere.
03:00Got to be lucky.
03:01And then you got to perform in the coaching staff.
03:03And both of these coaches know how to, you know, to answer the first part of your question, how to
03:09handle preseason hype.
03:11I think that these two franchises know how to handle it.
03:14You know, some have lived up to it at times.
03:16And sometimes you don't.
03:17It's harder.
03:18It gets harder every year.
03:20These guys' teams get better.
03:21And, you know, that lasts the first thing.
03:23So, it's one thing to get there.
03:25It's another thing to sustain it.
03:27And sustained greatness is tedious.
03:30It's hard on the field, in the front office, everything.
03:34And both these franchises have done it.
03:35You're going to have to be a little lucky.
03:36But both start the season as Super Bowl contenders.
03:39There's no doubt.
03:39And you look at the Niners now with Brock Purdy in the first year of his five-year contract.
03:44How much does that change?
03:45Not necessarily the pressure and the expectation, but just his maturation now as a quarterback.
03:52Yeah, there's always that pressure.
03:54The key, and it's easier said than done from our vantage point, is for him to compartmentalize that and realize
03:59the 11-on-11 is not going to change.
04:02It's amazing the expectations people put on him after one good year.
04:06You know, he's the last pick of the draft.
04:07And then he had, I mean, he's had more than one good year.
04:09But when he had that season, when he won the job and then started to take over, all of a
04:13sudden we talked about him like he was the first pick of the draft.
04:16Think about what that guy's done since he's been in the league.
04:19And I know there's moments because he doesn't dress in a phone booth as far as throw it like Josh
04:24Allen with the howitzer arm or, you know, is precise with that mid-level arm strength that you can throw
04:31it late and still get away with it like Matt Stafford.
04:34But, man, to do what he's done and then to earn this contract, I still think Brock Purdy's underrated.
04:40I do.
04:40And I think they've got a good quarterback room.
04:41It's not going to flash, oh, they're the greatest off schedule.
04:45And when they walk in the room, they're going to wow you with physical skill set.
04:49But they make smart decisions for the most part.
04:51If they throw on time and stay in rhythm, they're accurate, all that.
04:54And when they get in trouble is when they're out of rhythm and try to play a little bit of
04:57hero ball.
04:58But there is pressure.
05:00You guys know that.
05:01There's a ton of pressure.
05:02And the great ones know how to take the pressure and use it to their advantage.
05:05And I think Brock will do that.
05:08And then the guys in there is that group of people.
05:10And I don't think Brock falls under this to get paid.
05:12And then they get casual.
05:14I think Brock Purdy has the personality that he'd like to prove that where he was drafted wasn't where he
05:19should have been drafted.
05:21He's earned the money.
05:22And now to go prove it to his teammates, because that's really in teammates and in the organization, the fans
05:26will come along if you're winning.
05:28We know that.
05:28And everybody's got an opinion.
05:30But to win over and consistently win over the guys in the locker room, and I think he has.
05:34So his thing is just to stay in rhythm.
05:36And what happens when you get paid, guys, with the expectations placed on the outside world that are placed on
05:41you, is that you place too much on yourself.
05:47All he has to do is do what he does, play on time, and not get carried away with trying
05:51to play hero ball.
05:52And he'll be just fine.
05:53And then they've got to be healthy, because he's not the type of guy who can carry a team like
05:57when Rodgers was in Green Bay, when you watch a Lamar Jackson or Mahomes when they got injuries.
06:02We load him up on our back, and we'll just go.
06:04And he can carry it for two months like a great hitter, Jordan Alvarez, in baseball, or Otani.
06:09That's not who Purdy is.
06:11Good players around him help, but he doesn't need to be Matt Stafford.
06:16He does not.
06:16He just needs to do what he does.
06:19So he's got to convince himself that he doesn't have to do more just because he's getting paid more.
06:23We seem to think that that validates that if you get paid more, that all of a sudden the expectations
06:28go up.
06:28But with that, the one thing they don't have since he's been there, and it's been a minute, is go
06:32in and win a Super Bowl.
06:33So those expectations are there.
06:35And now as a quarterback that's paid like you're a superstar, the expectations rise.
06:40And it's only human nature individually for you to raise the expectations of your game.
06:45And the truth is, if he doesn't raise his own expectations like all good players and great players do, then
06:51he's not very good.
06:53And I think he'll raise his expectations and his performance because he wants to validate exactly why they paid him.
06:59And that's okay as long as you don't try to be a hero every week, which he doesn't have to
07:03be.
07:04Sean Salisbury is with us here.
07:05Willard and Dibbs, 95-7 the game.
07:07While we're talking about Purdy, I'd love to get into the targets that he has.
07:11Last year, the two top wide receivers on the team were Jawan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne.
07:18And especially against Seattle, there was a thought that this group just can't separate.
07:22They can't handle man coverage.
07:24They couldn't.
07:25They could not last year.
07:26So how would you compare what was going on last year to now?
07:30Mike Evans, Deebo, they love this kid, Dajon Stribling.
07:34How do you see this as different?
07:36Oh, it's a major upgrade.
07:38I just wish we could get Pearsall back, you know, when I say we, meaning the 49ers' conversation.
07:43Wouldn't that be great to have him?
07:45But that's another unfortunate loss for them.
07:49Listen, one of the things, this is an aging group, meaning, you know, with Mike and Christian.
07:54You know how we talk about running backs.
07:55When I say aging, I say old.
07:57Aging, and I look at it as maturity and experience.
07:59And this team, like no other in this league, is going to have to stay healthy.
08:03But what you've done is you've raised the room when you went out and got Mike Evans, the expectations in
08:08the room for a young player who gets to watch how a guy like he and Deebo work.
08:12Now, listen, I know Deebo may not be the guy he was when he was the greatest Swiss Army knife
08:17in the league when he left San Francisco, you know, or just a year or two before he left.
08:22He's coming back home where he belongs in the system.
08:24You know, I wouldn't expect him to be that guy, but I would expect him to be more than he
08:28was when he was gone.
08:30I do, but if there's a veteran thing, people know how to play and how to practice.
08:35Stribling's a good young star player in the making if he just continues to expand his game and live up
08:41to what we saw in college.
08:43It's a far better one because you've got veterans that know how to run around, how to run to get
08:47open.
08:48Evans is plenty physical enough.
08:50We know Deebo's whole game has been based on versatility and physicality in his career.
08:56And getting George healthy, I call that part of the receiver room as well.
08:59Listen, veterans like that who know how to play.
09:02It's not just because, yeah, I know a lot of skilled guys that don't know how to beat press coverage.
09:06I know a lot of skilled guys that don't understand when you're sitting in a hole on a curl route,
09:10don't run out of the hole.
09:12Don't run to be covered.
09:13The elementary school stuff that the young guys got to learn, but for stribbling in the room and having these
09:19veterans around.
09:19And a great route runner like McCaffrey out of the backfield who falls into the receiver category in a lot
09:24of situations.
09:25So their bandwidth expands.
09:27Because when you played the 49ers last year when you lined up against them on the perimeter, it was if
09:32that guy in the backfield when he's healthy doesn't beat us, and if they don't run the football down our
09:36throat, those guys on the perimeter are not beating us.
09:38You can't say that now.
09:40Mike Evans has done it every year since he's been in this league.
09:42We know Devo Samuel has it in him, and I think we're all anxious to see what he brings to
09:47the table.
09:47And stribbling's a good, young, explosive talent.
09:51This receiver room is a decade better than the one you saw last year, and it's not close.
09:58Just for the sheer understanding of the game.
10:00Yeah, and I think that becomes especially critical when you've got two games against Seattle and two games against the
10:06Rams.
10:07What is it that Seattle does defensively that has given Kyle Shanahan so many fits?
10:12Well, think about what they do, and first of all, a lot of it, physical at the corner position.
10:20When the Seahawks have been great over the years and last year winning a Super Bowl, and also you saw
10:26what the Rams do.
10:27What do the Rams do, knowing the quarterback division, know how the 49ers are?
10:30And you look at Seattle, and Darnold's added to it, and they're the Super Bowl champions.
10:34These teams, they've both loaded up.
10:36Look at Seattle's offseason, and I know you guys have ad nauseum, as I have, and the Rams.
10:40What did they do?
10:42Two teams.
10:43One's a Super Bowl champion.
10:44One thought they were going to win the Super Bowl on the Rams last year.
10:46They went out and loaded up more on defense and went out and got guys on the perimeter.
10:51You know, they can make a difference on your football team, and they can impact it immediately because they know
10:56the receivers and the explosiveness in the division.
10:59So, you know, they've got a – we can wish it all we want.
11:03If you've got a great back end, but your front seven can't stop the run and you can't put pressure
11:08on a quarterback, whether it's scheme and or talent come together, and Seattle had both last year, is their ability
11:14to – and some guys, it's like a hitter against the pitcher.
11:18That some guys just don't hit certain pitching well, and he may not be the best pitcher.
11:21He just doesn't.
11:23And that's incumbent upon the 49ers to, you know, change up some things and maybe change up some tendencies.
11:28But being able to get off press coverage and being able to get away from some of these really, really
11:33– we overuse at times that lockdown corner.
11:35But both of these teams, Seattle and the Rams, have corners that are going to end up playing in the
11:40Pro Bowl that we don't have anymore.
11:42But that type of player.
11:43So – and along with the back end, you can have the greatest back end in the world.
11:47If your front seven can't apply pressure, a guy like me is going to destroy your secondary and your football
11:52team.
11:52But when you can apply both and then both have defensive coaches that understand scheme and how to utilize their
11:59skill set,
12:00and what you're always trying to do is put a team in their weakness.
12:03And last year, the weakness of the 49ers was obviously not being able to beat you on the edge or
12:08at least the threat of beating you on the edge.
12:10If it wasn't McCaffrey and it wasn't turnovers and it wasn't running the football, they were in trouble last year
12:15because of all the injuries.
12:16So, both Seattle scheme-wise and personnel-wise, and they went out and upgraded it, as did the Rams.
12:24So, both of them know when you add Aaron Donald and McDuffie, among others, you obviously know that Donald and
12:29Brock Purdy and Shanahan
12:31and the group in Seattle even losing Clint Kubiak knows how to attack.
12:35So, good corners help.
12:37Front sevens help even more, I assure you.
12:39And that will be a big Ram strength, and Seattle is solid as well.
12:43Sean, I think all of us who have never been in a football locker room are curious kind of how
12:49these things affect a football locker room.
12:52It has been a weird summer.
12:54There have been a lot of headlines that have nothing to do with football, from the owner to the substation
13:01to someone pretending to be a 49er on social media.
13:04You've got Brandon Ayuk and his Instagram.
13:07All of this stuff, in your opinion, affects an actual 49er player how?
13:14Well, if you're a weak-minded football team, whether it's the 49ers or anybody else, you let those distractions affect
13:19you.
13:21The truth of the matter is, the guy who impersonated a 49er, once you realize that he's been found and
13:25it was an impersonator,
13:27I don't know why that would affect what's going on in the locker room.
13:30Listen, every single day with every single team in this league, now, I'm not talking about the owner.
13:35We'll get to that in a second.
13:36But when it comes to whether it's adversity or stress, right, whether it's a fight at home with an argument
13:43with your significant other,
13:45whether it's you spent more money and an investment went south, then I know it's easier said than done.
13:51But the ability to be able to compartmentalize and walk in the locker room and you just can't bring it
13:55in any of our jobs.
13:57Guys, even in our job, you got your job to do.
13:59You can't bring home inside.
14:00It's just part of maturity and adulthood.
14:02And football is such a great melting pot inside the locker room.
14:06And it truly is.
14:07Once you walk in there, the outside world really doesn't exist unless you bring it to yourself
14:11and you're spending more time on social media.
14:13Ayuk, listen, there are people laughing at him, not with him.
14:17The guy just overloaded his mouth with his ass enough.
14:20And I think the 49ers look at it like it's a bummer because the guy was a good football player.
14:24But the real distraction would be if the guy was in the locker room with him.
14:28Now we've got a problem.
14:29He's outside the locker room, so he's persona non grata.
14:32Nobody cares about what he's doing in his football world.
14:34I hope he gets whatever help he needs and can play again.
14:37So you can push that aside.
14:38The impersonator, you know what I mean?
14:40It makes for good banter on here, but I don't think the guys, when they line up in their opener,
14:46what is it, next Thursday,
14:47I don't think they're going to be too worried about some impersonator or Brandon Ayuk because he ain't it.
14:52And coaches always say, we're coaching the guys that are here, and the players usually feel we're playing.
14:57It's going to be tough enough to beat their opponent, let alone deal with that.
14:59Now, as far as the owner, of course, it's a distraction.
15:02What it is, it's a trust factor.
15:03Now, the owner, I don't get into his private life or what he paid or what he did and all
15:08that.
15:08I don't know enough about it, nor do I want to.
15:12I'll leave that to the people who are making the decisions.
15:15It's odd to set rules in your building and then turn around and maybe break them, but that's on him.
15:21But as far as the distraction, what it does, it's sometimes, it's like going on in New England.
15:25Mike Vrabel still had to earn the trust of his football team, even after all the great success Mike's had,
15:31because when you tell your player, well, you've got to be in at this right time and don't do this
15:34and don't do this,
15:35and then unfortunate circumstances for you happen.
15:37It's the same thing here.
15:38And regardless of how we want to answer it, the owner of a franchise is held to a different standard.
15:44And it should be.
15:45It just is.
15:46It's like the expectations of a quarterback or the expectations of your parents.
15:50I mean, they're just a different standard.
15:52So each guy will deal with it individually.
15:54But I honestly don't see how, if you're a mature team, the Kittles, they've got great leadership.
16:00Fred and McCaffrey, they're loaded with leadership.
16:05I'm sure some smirk at it, some look at it, some say, oh, man, they're a little bit hypocritical, all
16:10those things.
16:10But when it's time to play football, Kyle will do a great job of forcing it to be football.
16:15John's going to have to deal with it, Lynch, more than the rest of them.
16:18But football players and athletes are a unique group, man.
16:21Most of the time, the outside world that's not affecting you personally at your home, the Iukes of the world,
16:28impersonators, and an owner, the owner ain't putting a helmet on one time this year.
16:32He ain't calling one play.
16:33He's not doing anything.
16:34So you're playing for your own job and your own team.
16:36So the truth of the matter is those things should not be a distraction in the locker room, in the
16:41front office, and how they're going to deal with the NFL.
16:43That's one thing.
16:44But that's not Brock Purdy's to worry about.
16:46That's Mr. York's to worry about, and it's going to be a hill to climb for him.
16:50That's for sure.
16:51And how much of the trip to Australia is in and of itself also a distraction?
16:56I mean, the travel and all of the jet lag that you're going to suffer through, I know that they're
17:00there now.
17:01But as a player, how much would that affect the way you're going about preparing?
17:06I played in a handful of – he'll play in Germany in the preseason, like in Germany in the preseason,
17:11played in Japan one time in the preseason.
17:13I played in college in Japan.
17:15So I've seen it.
17:17And anybody that's said, now, they're flying a little different than maybe you and I would, right?
17:21They're not exactly flying with three dudes to a seat and their knees in their throat, which is a good
17:25thing.
17:25But it's still a long-distance flight.
17:28It takes – they always have these rules, too.
17:29When you get there, don't go to sleep.
17:31Stay up all day.
17:32Try to get to your normal patterns, all those things.
17:34Hell, yeah, it's a distraction.
17:36The advantage is both teams got to do it, and both teams are on the West Coast.
17:40So it's fairly equal flight time for the most part, I guess.
17:45And I'm not a flight attendant, but I'm assuming they're a pilot for that part.
17:51But you make a great point.
17:52Yeah.
17:52Fortunately, you like to hope you give yourself enough time to get into your routine and get the rest you
17:56need.
17:57And it's a long trip.
17:59But we better get used to it, guys, because guess what?
18:01Right.
18:02This is going global.
18:03And eventually, we're going to be playing even more than we already do now in a bunch of different places.
18:08So it's kind of odd that you're having that game like, damn, these two big teams, Super Bowl contenders, and
18:13that's where we're starting.
18:14That ought to tell you the importance of it, right?
18:16How important this one is.
18:19So, yes, it's a distraction.
18:20I would expect at times some sloppy football, fellas, early on.
18:24We get that anyway, and that's without going that far of a trip.
18:27So I would expect it.
18:29But the one advantage, like cold weather, if you're both in Cali and both teams are going to play the
18:34Giants in January, you've got to deal with it because, well, that's the other team does too.
18:38And usually it comes down to being smart, being disciplined, and managing your time right, but also having some mental
18:46toughness to deal with that kind of stuff and know that it's a football game and it counts, so you've
18:50got to deal with it.
18:51But it is a distraction, and it's a long-ass trip.
18:53You've just got to get into football mode, which can be tough on one of those trips because it's not
18:56a vacation.
18:57That's what people – this isn't a Pro Bowl.
18:59This is a real live, real football game.
19:01It's not a vacation.
19:02And this one game may very well separate them when the season's over.
19:06Sean Salisbury with us.
19:08We don't even know if Aaron Donald is playing in this game, but I'm curious what you think.
19:14Everyone seems to think, yeah, just Aaron Donald.
19:17I mean, you don't play for two years.
19:19You're 35.
19:21What version of Aaron do you expect when he starts playing?
19:25Well, I don't know if we're going to get the version of the guy that everybody in the world was
19:29afraid of when he said his player of the year stuff.
19:32But he left.
19:33He was still a really, really, really good player.
19:36I tried to look at it a little different, guys.
19:40You know, at 35, he's really probably got 32-year-old – well, even with the way he works out.
19:45I mean, if we just look at the physical – now, sometimes cosmetically we can look at somebody and say,
19:48oh, man, he can't get hurt.
19:50Well, there's other guys in the league that are big and physical too.
19:54I almost look at it like this guy said he's refreshed and he's got fresh legs.
19:58I think you're going to get a hell of a version.
20:00Now, I don't think you're going to get 65 snaps a game defensively, but I'll damn well bet you you
20:06can.
20:06And I'll bet you as the season goes on, as long as they're in this hunt where they're battling teams
20:11and he's healthy and feeling it,
20:13which his body looks like he can – we know he's mentally tough – he's going to get more single
20:18teams than he has in the past because of Miles Garrett.
20:21I mean, this is a huge get because even if you don't know how he's going to be, if you're
20:26game planning, what do you guys do?
20:27What do we do?
20:28We've still got to take into account his name's Aaron Donald.
20:30Boy, he's the three-time defensive player of the year, and he's well-rested and probably got a chip on
20:34his shoulder and a little pissed off for whatever reason.
20:36And he sat back and watched football, and he's like, this is going to be fun.
20:39And when it's fun and relaxed, he still might be a top-caliber player.
20:45If you're asking me do I think he's going to be a hack, absolutely not.
20:48Do I think he's just going to be a guy, absolutely not.
20:51Do I think he's going to be Miles Garrett, different positions I get, probably not.
20:55But I still think that he's formidable and that if he would have decided to play for any team, if
21:00he could have,
21:0131 other teams would have stood in line to try and get Aaron Donald.
21:04He will be hell to deal with.
21:06I know he's a little older, but I look at it that he's had two years off of just working
21:10out and not taking the punishment from turf and all that stuff
21:13and people blocking on him and leaning on him.
21:16I think you're going to see fresher legs than some people count on.
21:18And for those guys at those positions, fresh legs matter more than anything.
21:23John, you're the best, man.
21:24Thank you so much for doing it today.
21:27Oh, my pleasure.
21:27You guys keep killing it.
21:28You guys do such a great job, and I'm always honored to be on with you, and I hope you
21:31have a great season.
21:32And let me know if you need me to do it again at some point before the season's over.
21:36We definitely will definitely be talking to you again.
21:39Yeah, Sean, thanks, man.
21:40Appreciate you.
21:41You guys are great.
21:42Appreciate you.
21:43All right.
21:43Sean Salisbury right here on Willard and Dibbs 95.7 The Game.
21:47Love that dude.
21:48Yeah.
21:48Love talking to that dude.
21:49A nice mix of experience and knowledge, but also opinion.
21:54Yeah.
21:54He has all of the boxes checked.
21:56He doesn't just come on and is afraid to, like, give his honest opinion, and he gives
22:01you the football breakdown, and he obviously has the gravitas having played in the league
22:05himself.
22:05Always great to talk to him.
22:07No doubt.
22:07No doubt.
22:08So, yeah.
22:09Niners and Rams now six days away, and that was a pretty good breakdown of power on power.
22:15This is strength on strength right out of the gate.
22:17So, good stuff.
22:19All right.
22:19888-957-9570 is the number.
22:23Coming up next, we got to get to this and give you, hopefully, an opportunity to weigh
22:28in on how this landed with you, the fan.
22:31The San Francisco Giants Twitter account yesterday, or actually, I guess it was two days ago, sent
22:37something out that landed some kind of way with a lot of the fans.
22:44We'll get to that coming up next right here on Willard and Dibbs, and we're brought to
22:49you by Saramani Ford, also brought to you by Fremont Bank.
22:52Here for you, here for good.
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